


Unconventional

by allthegoldmedals



Category: Figure Skating RPF, Olympics RPF
Genre: 2010 Winter Olympics, 2014 Winter Olympics, 2018 Winter Olympics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Growing Up, Not a Love Story, Unconventional take on VirtueMoir, VirtueMoir - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-10-06 04:51:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17338928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthegoldmedals/pseuds/allthegoldmedals
Summary: Tessa Virtue is an ordinary 14-year-old girl with a knack for math and a passion for skating. No one, especially not herself, thought she was going to be an Olympic champion one day. Except for her math teacher, Scott Moir.





	1. First Day of School

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU fic I've been thinking about for a little while, but honestly I have no idea how it's going to go. This is not going to be your typical VirtueMoir fanfic, and to be honest this is also not going to be a typical love story, either. If you're looking for a story with a super romantic ending, this isn't going to be it, but I think it'll still be pretty cool. Feedback is appreciated:)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The year is 2003, and it's the first day of school. She doesn't know this now, but in fifteen years, Tessa will realize that this day changed her life.

As soon as the bell rang, Tessa rose from her desk and sighed. She had already endured three out of four awful classes of the first day of school. She had been so excited to see her friends again, but every class was a boring get-to-know-you activity that the teachers decided would be a great way to waste the day away. School was for learning, not for awkward social games and Summer Vacation BINGO. She was in high school now, not kindergarten. She wanted to learn!

Most of the students slowly navigating the halls looked like the felt the same way. Not all of them were especially keen on learning, especially not homework and tests, but she could tell they were all just as bored from the same childish activities they had been forced to partake in every class. Her final class of the day was math. Her best friend, Kaetlyn, was in her math class, but Kaetlyn didn't appreciate numbers like she did. Not that it mattered, Tessa was sure that they would be stuck in another hour of getting to know other kids that they already knew.

She sighed as she walked into Room 216, and she was surprised to see the walls painted a pretty shade of light green, in contrast to the reddish wooden desks neatly arranged around the room. Being inside the room gave her a vibrant sense of energy that she wasn't expecting. She looked around, realizing that the classroom was entirely empty. Had she entered the wrong room?

"Hi, welcome to grade nine math!" a bright male voice said from behind her.

She turned around to face a young man carrying a large stack of math textbooks. He had dark brown hair and light brown eyes, and a smile that was contagious. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Hi, I'm Tessa," she said. "Are you..." She glanced down at her agenda. "Mr. Moir?"

"You bet I am!" he replied enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you, Tessa..." He, too, looked down at his teacher's agenda. "Tessa Virtue?"

She nodded.

"Well, I'm looking forward to teaching you this year, Tessa!" he said, looking up at the clock. "You're a few minutes early, so you get to choose whatever seat you want!"

He walked over to the teacher's desk at the front of the room and set down his textbooks as Tessa walked over to a desk right up at the front. She didn't like to be distracted in class, and she found that the front of the room had less distractions when she couldn't see the rest of the students behind her. She strategically chose the desk right next to the desk on the end of the row. Most other kids would want to sit next to their friends. The desk at the end of the row would remain empty until Kaetlyn arrived.

"So, Tessa, what's your favourite thing about math?" Mr. Moir asked her with genuine curiosity.

She smiled, thinking about all the different ways she loved to work with numbers. "I really like how math applies to the real world," she answered truthfully.

"It really is all around us, isn't it," her teacher commented appreciatively.

Students started to enter the classroom, talking to each other. Some glanced at Tessa, already sitting at the front of the classroom. They thought she was a nerd, but she didn't really mind. She  _was_  a nerd, and she was proud of it. Most of the students chose to sit at the back of the classroom, and as the class filled up, some had no choice but to sit near the front. The seat next to Tessa, on the end of the row, remained empty.

Mr. Moir looked up at the clock, and seeing that it was time for class to start, walked to the door to close it. Just as he put his hand on the handle, ready to push the door closed, a girl with dark brown wavy hair came running in, almost crashing straight into the bewildered teacher. She carried an extremely large duffel bag as well as a backpack, and walked quickly to the last remaining seat, next to Tessa.

"Kaetlyn, you barely made it on time," Tessa whispered to her friend, eyeing the large bag that she was setting down on the ground next to her desk. "Why are you carrying that monster of a bag?"

"Skating team tryouts after school today, remember?" Kaetlyn whispered back. "I might be late for math, but I'm  _not_  gonna be late for skating."

Of course! Tessa had completely forgotten about the school's skating team. That was the main reason why she was so excited for school to start! Tessa and Kaetlyn had met each other when they were little kids learning how to skate. Now that they were in high school, they could join the skating team for the first time. The tryouts were notoriously difficult; the team only accepted two singles skaters of each gender and one pairs team. Kaetlyn and Tessa had been preparing all summer long, in hopes that they would get the two spots on the team as singles skaters.

"Thanks for the reminder, Kaet," Tessa told her friend gratefully. "I would totally have forgotten!"

"No problem," Kaetlyn replied, signalling her friend that their conversation had to end. The teacher at the front of the classroom was calling out for the class to be quiet.

"Welcome to grade 9 math!" he addressed the students warmly. "I'm Mr. Moir-" he wrote his name on the blackboard, "and I'm going to be your teacher this year!" He paused to pick up a stack of papers sitting on his desk, then took the pile and gave it to Kaetlyn. "Take one and pass it down, please, and if there are extras I'll collect them."

Kaetlyn took the top sheet of paper and gave the whole stack to Tessa, who took the next sheet of paper and gave it to the boy sitting next to her. She glanced down at the paper in front of her, which was titled, "Grade 9 Math 2003-2004." Underneath, it read, "Course Outline." She was surprised, but pleasantly surprised. She hadn't received the course outline in any of her other classes that day, and she had felt it was a rather unproductive day. At least now she knew what she was going to learn that year.

"We're getting the course outline already?" Kaetlyn groaned. "I'd rather do the stupid get-to-know-you's."

Tessa shook her head and laughed. Her friend was destined to be a writer, not a mathematician. She continued reading the course outline, taking note of the mark breakdown and realizing with mixed emotions that she would have to write an exam at the end of the year that was worth a large portion of her mark. High school was getting serious.

Other students behind her who had just received the outline realized what it was, and started complaining to each other about how much work they would have throughout the year. It seemed that it wasn't just Kaetlyn who didn't like math.

"Alright, as I'm sure you've noticed, you've just received the course outline for the year." Mr. Moir said to the class. "We're going to spend this class going through the outline of everything we're going to learn this year, and if we finish that, we'll work on some math review from middle school."

Someone from the back of the classroom groaned in disapproval, but he ignored it and started going through the different units that were listed on the back page of the course outline. Tessa recognized a few topics that she had, on her own time, been learning about, but she was excited to see that she would be learning a lot of new math that she hadn't learned before. She could already tell that Mr. Moir was a great teacher. He was passionate about the subject, and he seemed to connect with the students more than most other teachers did.

The hour-long class went by faster than Tessa had thought, and even Kaetlyn didn't seem completely bored. Before they knew it, the bell rang, and everyone rose from their seats, eager to leave the school and get home. With a quick goodbye to Mr. Moir, Tessa raced to her locker and grabbed her skating bag and met Kaetlyn at the front of the school, where other students were leaving quickly.

"Race you to the rink!" Kaetlyn called, taking off.

Tessa laughed and ran after her, and the two arrived at the skating rink, a block away from the school, at exactly the same time. They walked in, expecting to find it empty, but they were surprised to see Mr. Moir, their math teacher, seated on the bench closest to the entrance of the rink.

"Hi, Mr. Moir," the two girls said in unison.

"Hi, Tessa, and... Kaetlyn?" he said uncertainly, having trouble remembering all of his hundreds of students' names.

Kaetlyn nodded and smiled. "That's me! Wait... Mr. Moir, why are you here at the rink?"

"I'm the coach," he explained. "You're here for tryouts, right?"

They both nodded. Tessa smiled. Her math teacher was also the skating coach? She had a good feeling about this year.

"Well, why don't you two start warming up, and once everyone else gets here, we can get going." he suggested.

The two girls put their bags down on the ground and started stretching, before eagerly putting on their skates and warming up on the ice. Tessa, naturally being shy and also wanting to save her best moves for the actual tryout, skated around the ice for a while before trying out her sit spin, which she executed perfectly. She got back up and watched as Kaetlyn showed off her Axel, which she had perfected over the summer. Kaetlyn loved jumps, and proceeded to carry out a perfect double toe loop. Tessa smiled, knowing how talented her friend was, but continued with simpler spins and jumps as Kaetlyn performed a flip with ease.

"Hey, Scott!" Tessa heard two voices, a girl's and a boy's, say in unison. She looked up as Kaitlyn and Andrew, two skaters each a year older than her, greeted their coach.

 _That must be Mr. Moir's first name,_  Tessa thought. She wondered if he actually allowed the skaters to call him by his first name, and judging by his smile, he didn't mind.

As the rest of the aspiring skaters entered the rink and put their skates on, Mr. Moir, or, Scott, started to explain how the tryouts would work. For singles skaters, they would each have 5 minutes to perform whatever they wanted, and they were chosen based on difficulty and execution. Pairs had 5 minutes to demonstrate their synchronicity. Tessa had always admired pairs skaters; they had to rely on each other, and that was something she was sure she could never do. She was very independent, and she preferred to rely on herself only.

The tryouts began with boys' singles. There wasn't really any point; only two boys had showed up anyway. The first one was Patrick, a boy in grade 11. He skated at the same rink as Tessa and Kaetlyn, and he was very good. He skated with an artistry that Tessa had never seen before. She could tell that Mr. Moir was impressed. The second boy was Keegan, who was in grade 9. He was new to the school, and he was in a few of Tessa's classes. He was pretty good, too. They both deserved their places on the team, even if they automatically got them anyway.

Next were the girls' singles. Several girls showed up to try out, but Tessa wasn't worried. She and Kaetlyn had been skating for years. A few girls who went first were decent, but not spectacular. Then it was Kaetlyn's turn, and Tessa watched her friend proudly as she made every jump and every spin. Some of the other girls watched dejectedly, knowing their routines had no chance of beating Kaetlyn's.

Tessa was next, with only one girl, Gabrielle, left to skate. Tessa got on the ice confidently, ready to skate. Some girls looked skeptical, as if they couldn't imagine that Tessa's routine could even compare to Kaetlyn's. They were quickly impressed when Tessa matched every jump and every spin, skating with a confidence that was normally hidden behind her shy demeanour. She finished her routine with a double loop jump and a tricky layback spin, executing both elements perfectly. She smiled as she walked off the ice quickly and sat next to Kaetlyn.

"Nice job, Tess!" she congratulated her. "That ending was awesome!"

"Thanks, Kaet," she replied gratefully, looking around and seeing the other girls' wondering expressions.

They weren't cocky by any means, but they thought they had made it by a mile. None of the other girls, despite being older than them, had even come close. There was only one skater left, and it was Gabrielle, who was only in grade 9, just like them. No one thought she was going to beat out Tessa and Kaetlyn.

When she got out on the ice, she looked nervous, and Tessa felt a bit of sympathy. Gabrielle had, no doubt, been practicing a lot, but with two amazing displays by her classmates, she was likely to be cut from the team. However, as soon as she started skating, all that sympathy was replaced by complete awe and admiration. Gabrielle was incredible. She jumped just as high as Kaetlyn, spun just as gracefully as Tessa, and worked with the ice like Tessa had never seen before. She clearly had a passion and an incredible talent for skating.

As her routine ended, Tessa watched anxiously as Mr. Moir took notes impassively, and some of the other girls had tiptoed out, having given up already. Tessa's heart hammered in her chest, and she grabbed Kaetlyn's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Whatever happened, it was more than likely that one of them would not be joining the team.

The two friends were restless as the pairs skaters took to the ice. Tessa barely noticed one of the pairs' clumsy and unsynchronized routine, another pair seemed unwilling to even touch each other, and one boy almost dropped his partner. Only Kaitlyn and Andrew were good, and they were quite good. Their routine wasn't technically difficult, but they executed it perfectly and in sync with each other. Tessa knew the reason why they were so good was because they got along really well off the ice, as well as on. She didn't know very many skating partners in high school who actually got along. Most kids were too worried about being "popular," which got in the way of a successful partnership.

"Awesome job, skaters!" Mr. Moir said once all the tryouts were done. He wrote something down in a binder he was holding. "Now I'm going to announce who was successful. Remember, practices are every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school. If you can't commit to those times, please let me know so that another skater can take your place on the team. If you miss two practices or are consistently late, your spot in the next competition will be given to another skater, who will be welcomed to the team. If you miss three practices, you will not be allowed to compete for the rest of the season."

He continued to talk about rules, not strictly, but firmly. Tessa could tell he had expectations and he wouldn't hesitate to make changes. She liked that. They wouldn't be successful unless they were disciplined. At the moment, though, she couldn't appreciate that. She just wanted him to announce who made the team!

"Finally, the part you've all been waiting for," he said a bit louder, getting Tessa's attention. "Our two successful boys' singles skaters are... drumroll please..." He dragged it out for suspense, garnering a few laughs. "Patrick Chan and Keegan Messing!"

The two boys high-fived and the other skaters clapped, congratulating them, even though their places on the team had already been guaranteed. Patrick patted the younger boy on the back and said, "Nice job, Keegan. I can't wait to work with you this year!"

The younger boy smiled, obviously having been nervous before, but he realized that everything would be alright. He had made it on the team, and now he had a friend in Patrick, whom he looked up to.

"For the girls' singles skaters..." Mr. Moir continued, "There was an unusually high turnout. Although..." He looked around. "It appears that several of them have already left." He shrugged. "Oh well, their loss. Anyway, due to the high turnout this year, I have decided that it would be appropriate to expand the team."

Tessa and Kaetlyn lit up with hope. They could still both make the team!

"So our successful skaters are Gabrielle Daleman..." He paused and looked down at his binder, and Tessa was ready to burst with frustration. "Kaetlyn Osmond, and Tessa Virtue." He looked up with a smile. "For the rest of you, I'm going to think about talking with the school to see if we can afford a few more girls. You're all very talented, and I would love for you to be able to compete."

Tessa was bursting with excitement, and looking over at Kaetlyn, she was just as happy. Mr. Moir had expanded the team just for them, and Tessa was very grateful. She was barely listening when he announced Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje as the successful pair. She was just happy and relieved that he had given her a spot on the team. Apparently, he had also dismissed everyone, because the other students were starting to leave the rink, and Kaetlyn started to pull her away as well. Tessa let go of her friend's hand, staying behind.

"Hey, Tess, let's go!" Kaetlyn said. "Time to go home!"

"Yeah, I'm coming, Kaet, just wait a second," she replied, walking over to Mr. Moir, who was packing up his things. "Mr. Moir?"

He looked up with a smile. "You can call me Scott, if you'd like."

She nodded. "Okay. Well, I just... I just wanted to say thank you, Scott." she told him gratefully, her green eyes sparkling happily.

"You're welcome, Tessa." he replied, just as happy. "You're a fantastic skater. I can't wait to see what you'll do this year."

"Thanks, Mr. Moir- um, Scott," she said, blushing slightly. "I'm really excited." Kaetlyn signalled to her from the door, wanting to go home. Tessa could talk to a teacher for hours. She noticed Kaetlyn's frantic waving, and decided to wrap up the conversation.

"Well, have a good night, Scott!" she said to him, starting to walk toward the exit.

"Good night, Tessa!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good? Bad? I'm not sure. I'm actually really excited to write the rest of this story. It's not going to be a love story, but I hope it'll be VirtueMoir all the same. Feedback is greatly appreciated!


	2. Competition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first skating competition of the year is fast approaching, and Tessa gets closer with Scott.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos:)

It was a cold November afternoon, a Thursday, when Tessa scrambled to meet with all her teachers after school. The skating team's first competition of the season - Tessa's first competition representing the school - was coming up, which meant that she would get to miss school. Most students would never miss an opportunity to get out of school. As a straight-A student with a fear of missing out on important concepts, skipping school was Tessa's nightmare. She was so stressed that she had booked one-on-one meetings with all her teachers to make sure that she wouldn't be behind when she returned to school.

She looked at her watch, then at her agenda. It was 4:28! Her next meeting was with Mr. Moir at 4:30! She ran down the empty halls (it was well past dismissal), arriving at her favourite classroom, Room 216, with the green walls. It also helped that it was the classroom of her favourite subject, math, taught by her favourite teacher, Mr. Moir. He let her call him by his first name, Scott, but only at the rink. In the classroom he was Mr. Moir.

She dashed into the classroom, out of breath but a minute early. She looked around and noticed Mr. Moir's binders sitting on the teacher's desk, but he was nowhere to be found. She turned back to look out the door, and saw him walking down the hall toward her, smiling and waving as he noticed her.

"Hey, Tessa!" he greeted her as he walked in. He glanced at his watch. "Wow, it's already 4:30, guess it's time to get going!"

"You're just on time," she joked, and he laughed.

"Have a seat," he offered, pulling up a second chair to his teacher's desk, and she did, sitting next to him as he opened his binder. "So, you wanted to meet with me about missing next week's class?"

She nodded. "I was wondering if I could get the work in advance, so that I could have it ready instead of having to catch up when we get back."

"Always on top of things," he noted appreciatively. "Normally, I would let you know what the lesson plan is, but as you know, I'm not going to be teaching the lesson."

As the skating coach, he was going to the competition in Hamilton with the whole team.

"Since our first unit test is coming up, and I'm going to be away, I've decided that next class will be a review period for the test." he told her. "Some students are having some difficulty with all the material we've covered, and they could really use the time. As for you, Tessa, I'm not concerned. You've demonstrated that you have a solid understanding of all the material, so really, you don't need to do the extra review."

"Are you giving out any extra review questions?" she asked.

"Yes, I've made a review package with questions on every topic," he replied, removing a thick package of paper from his binder and showing it to her. "If you'd like, I can give one to you, but I doubt you'll need it."

"Well, actually, I was thinking of reviewing the slopes of perpendicular lines," she told him. "I'm not sure I'm a hundred percent on that yet."

"Okay," he said, handing her the review package. "If you think you need practice, then go ahead. Although, Tessa, I've seen your homework, and your understanding of the slopes of perpendicular lines is well beyond what you need to know for this test. Don't doubt your abilities. You have quite a talent with numbers."

"Thanks, Mr. Moir," she said, blushing slightly. Compliments helped with her insecurities, but she would always be a perfectionist. She was never happy with what she did until it was absolutely perfect.

"Have confidence, Tessa," he said, like he was reading her mind. "This applies to skating, too. When you're confident, you'll naturally do better, and you're already doing amazing. You can do it, just believe in yourself, because I believe in you."

It sounded like what everyone always said, but coming from Mr. Moir, Tessa really started to believe in it. She admired him greatly, and he always carried a quiet confidence that she hoped she could learn from. Whether it was math or skating, he believed in her, and she could tell he truly did. Having that support meant a lot.

"I can do it." she repeated, then smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Moir."

"You're welcome, Tessa," he replied, his smile mirroring hers. "Is there anything else you need?"

She started to shake her head, then stopped. "Actually, I was wondering if I could have another copy of the review package, to give to Kaetlyn?"

"Of course," he said, handing her another package of papers and packing up his things.

"See you at practice tomorrow, Mr. Moir!" Tessa said, getting up from her seat. "Thanks for the review package!"

"No problem, Tessa," he replied, patting her on the back. "See you tomorrow!"

* * *

It was 6:15 on a bleak Monday morning when Tessa arrived at the school, wearing several layers and a sweater and sweatpants, but she was still cold. November in Southern Ontario was not supposed to feel like Christmas at the North Pole.

She was early, but she had insisted, against her mom's wishes, that she should arrive at the school before the scheduled departure at 6:30. She hated being late, but as she looked around, maybe she was a bit  _too_ early. None of her teammates were to be found.

She turned to look to her right, shivering, when she noticed someone walking toward her. He was bundled up in a large winter jacket with a scarf and hat, and as he approached and waved, she realized who it was.

"Hi, Scott!" she greeted him warmly, despite the opposite temperature around her.

"Hey, Tessa!" He walked up to her. "You're early, as usual!"

She laughed. "Only by fifteen minutes!"

"Lucky us, we're going to freeze for fifteen minutes," he joked. "Actually, the taxis should arrive any time. I called them to come here early, anyhow."

Right on cue, two yellow cabs pulled up in front of the school, and Scott signalled to the drivers. One of them rolled down their window, and he explained that the rest of the students would be arriving shortly, and that they could leave around 6:30.

Tessa looked down the street and saw Patrick and Keegan walking side by side and chatting as they approached the school.

"Hey, Tessa!" they said together when they saw her.

"Hey, Patrick, Keegan," she replied. "Are you guys excited?"

"So excited!" Patrick responded his affirmation. "This team is the best we've seen in years! There's finally another guy-" He high-fived Keegan. "And you girls are awesome! Honestly, we've never had a good team in the past, but I think that'll change this year."

They continued talking to each other as Kaitlyn and Andrew arrived, followed by Kaetlyn, who sprinted toward them, not wanting to be late. Scott started to gather them to get in the taxis. Patrick, Keegan, Kaitlyn, and Andrew took the first taxi, leaving from their school in London, Ontario, and heading east to Hamilton, where the competition was held. Tessa watched the taxi drive away, until it turned a corner and disappeared from view. Adrenaline rushed through her veins; she was so excited.

"I guess we should wait for Gabby," Scott said to Tessa and Kaetlyn, looking at his watch. "Although she is a bit late. Have either of you girls been in contact with her?"

They both shook their heads. They admired Gabrielle for her incredible talent, but off the ice, she was incredibly shy and reserved. She was always working on homework or studying for tests, not socializing with other students. She was even more studious than Tessa.

Scott was ready to call Gabrielle's parents when a white minivan drove up to the school, and she hopped out of the car, grabbing her skating bag and running toward her awaiting teammates.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late," she told Scott, seeming truly apologetic. "I hope you guys weren't waiting for me?"

Scott smiled kindly. "No, the first taxi just left. But now that you're here, let's go!"

The three girls sat in the back of the taxi and Scott took the front seat as they began their trip to Hamilton.

As if by magic, snow gently started to fall.

* * *

That afternoon, the pairs' competition began. It was called pairs, but Scott insisted that it was really more like ice dance. Throws were disallowed, and jumps had to be kept to a minimum. At an amateur high school level, it was for safety.

The whole team gathered in their designated seats in the arena, while Scott sat down in the coaches' section, ready to go to the kiss and cry zone after Kaitlyn and Andrew's performance. Tessa didn't see the point of the kiss and cry. It wasn't like this was the Olympics or anything; it was just being overdramatic. Nevertheless, she watched teams' excited reactions when they did well, and disappointments when they didn't.

Unlike real competitive skating, this competition only had one routine per discipline. There was no short program or free skate, just one program that gave the teams the choice of doing whatever they wanted. Tessa was used to competing at more regulated events, but she didn't mind this high school competition.

After a great performance by a team from a nearby Hamilton school, getting the whole crowd cheering, Kaitlyn and Andrew were set to perform. She watched Scott enter the kiss and cry zone, getting the best view of the performance that was about to begin.

Tessa smiled as the familiar sounds of  _The Sound of Music_  started to play. Kaitlyn and Andrew loved the musical, and they had put together a medley of all the songs for their performance. The contrast between the sweet and lyrical  _Edelweiss_  and the energetic  _Do Re Mi_  shouldn't have worked, but Kaitlyn and Andrew made it work perfectly. They skated with grace and a maturity well beyond their years. They had put their whole hearts into their routine, and it showed.

When the performance ended, the whole team cheered as loudly as they could from their seats up above, and Scott gave them high-fives. Tessa didn't even hear the score being announced; her teammates were already cheering, and they only got louder when the voice over the speaker announced that they were in first place.

Tessa had never experienced a true team dynamic, but now she knew what it was like to have unconditional support from all of your teammates. It was truly special.

* * *

The following morning, the girls' singles competitions were taking place. The boys had competed the night before, and although neither Patrick nor Keegan had won, Keegan had placed well for his age, and Patrick had placed a respectable fifth place. The girls were buzzing with anticipation and excitement as they waited in the competitors' zone down at ice level, waiting for their turns to skate.

Tessa was one of the first to skate, and when she got on the ice, she had the distinct feeling that she wasn't ready. No matter how much she had looked forward to this moment, when it actually arrived, it was foreign territory. Once the music started, though, she instinctively started to skate, focusing on every move she was executing instead of the bigger picture. She was in her own world, spinning and jumping perfectly, and not feeling nervous about the difficult elements she would still have to execute. With a final impressive crossfoot spin, her performance was suddenly over, and she skated off to the side, almost in a daze, as she heard thunderous applause around her.

"That was incredible, Tessa!" Scott congratulated her, hugging her as he helped her off the ice and into the kiss and cry zone.

"Thanks, Scott," she replied, still in disbelief. Everything felt so surreal, like it was a dream. Her head was spinning and her heart was beating out of her chest.

"Hey, you did awesome!" he said with a laugh, noticing her overwhelmed expression and patting her on the back. He picked up her skate guards and she removed her skates, putting them carefully away and feeling a bit more grounded.

That feeling disappeared as soon as they announced her score. She stopped listening after they announced "one hundred."  _One hundred?_  One hundred and something, that was her score. None of the boys the night before had even come close. Scott hugged her as they announced that she was in first place, and she could hear all her teammates cheering.

As she walked back to the competitors' zone, some other competing girls, girls she didn't know, girls in grade 12, all congratulated her. Kaetlyn and Gabby were the most excited competitors, after all, they were all on the same team, and they had a good feeling that Tessa would be ahead by a mile.

After a few more skaters, Tessa was still first place by over thirty points, and it was Kaetlyn's turn to skate. Tessa wished her good luck before she stepped out onto the ice, ready to impress everyone with her technical performance. It started off perfectly as she executed her most difficult jumps with ease, and with every step, she gained confidence, and Tessa could tell. Her jumps got higher, her strides grew stronger, and Tessa watched with pride.  _Kaetlyn might beat me,_  she thought happily. She was so proud of her friend.

Nearing the end of her routine, Tessa was thinking that Kaetlyn was going to set a new record. But disaster struck when she over-rotated her Axel, a jump that she usually had no difficulty with. This threw her off, and she ended imperfectly. Tessa felt awful. The performance had been amazing, and just one misstep had thrown it all off. Kaetlyn was obviously disappointed, but Scott congratulated her regardless, knowing that it had been an overall great performance.

Second place. She was only behind Tessa, and still ahead of the other competitors by a small margin. Her ranking would drop, no doubt, but she had avoided the worst. She returned to the competitors' bench and Tessa and Gabby both congratulated her, and despite feeling a bit upset, she soon cheered up.

A few more skates later, Kaetlyn's rank had dropped, but she wasn't too upset. Gabby was performing next, and they were looking forward to it.

When she stepped on the ice, she seemed like a different person. Gone was her shy personality, and she gave off a sense of confidence and pure power. She never hesitated, propelling herself with every jump, every spin, and every stroke of the blade. Tessa was entranced.

When her routine ended, the crowd roared, no doubt wondering in astonishment how one small school from London had produced such amazing talent. Scott congratulated Gabby, who was immediately back to her reserved self, blushing at the compliments and in disbelief when her score was announced. She had just beaten Tessa, by no more than a point, and her score would not even be close to matched for the rest of the day.

Gabrielle Daleman had won the girls' singles gold medal, advancing straight to the finals at the end of the year.

* * *

That evening, Scott took the whole team out for dinner as a celebration. They went to a pizza restaurant, but not just any pizza restaurant, it was a fancy restaurant where you could choose any toppings for your pizza. Scott had apparently been there several times, and he said it was the best pizza he had ever had. Tessa wondered if Scott had previously lived in Hamilton, otherwise how would he have known about this restaurant, let alone go to it several times? The more she reflected, she realized that Scott revealed pretty much nothing about himself, how he got into skating, or anything about his life.

She didn't think much of it, and by the end of the night, they were all happily celebrating, congratulating each other on finishing their first competition. Gabby had come out of her shell a little bit, accepting the congratulations from her teammates humbly.

"Now, as some of you know, finals are at the end of the year in Montreal," Scott explained. "The winners at each competition automatically advance to finals, and if you do well in a few competitions, you can also get there."

"Nice job, Gabby, you're going to Montreal!" Kaitlyn congratulated her teammate, giving her a high-five.

"Actually, all of you are going to Montreal," Scott clarified. "Whether you qualify for finals or not, you can all come to cheer on your teammates."

All the skaters cheered. They loved travelling, especially when they were supporting their team. That was the best part of competition!

"I'm proud of every single one of you," Scott told them truthfully, wrapping up his congratulatory speech as the night grew darker. "I believe in all of you. I'll see you at practice on Wednesday, and if you need anything, I'm here to support you. Competition can be tough, and our next one is right before Christmas. We're going to keep working on our routines, and hopefully we can do really well again!"

Everyone cheered, exhausted but still enthusiastic. As the celebration winded down, parents started to arrive to drive their kids home. Scott hadn't been able to arrange for taxis on the way back, but no one's parents had minded the extra drive. Kaitlyn and Andrew were the first to leave, then Keegan, then Gabby, then Patrick, then Kaetlyn left when her parents arrived. Only Tessa was left, waiting impatiently for her mom to arrive.

"Is one of your parents coming to pick you up, Tessa?" Scott asked her.

"Yeah, my mom said she would pick me up," she replied, feeling slightly annoyed at her mom for being late. "I'm sure she'll be here any minute."

Scott nodded, and the two sat in silence for a few moments as they waited.

"You don't have to wait for me, Scott," Tessa said, feeling apologetic. "I can wait by myself."

"No, no, it's alright," he replied kindly. "I'm responsible for you until your mom arrives. I know you're perfectly responsible for yourself, but I have to follow school conduct. Besides, I couldn't just leave you here all alone."

"Okay," she said, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he told her. "And by the way, congratulations on your performance today! It was truly spectacular. I haven't seen an empowering performance like that in a long time."

"Thanks, Scott," she said, the darkness of the night covering the blush on her cheeks. "Everyone did really well."

"I agree," he replied. "Tessa, just know that even though you didn't win, you're going to do great in all of our next competitions, and you're going to make finals, without a doubt. I have full confidence in you."

"That means a lot," she reflected. "Thank you."

Their conversation continued, and the night continued to darken, but Tessa's mom had yet to show up.

"Do you want to borrow my cell phone to call your mom?" Scott asked.

"Sure, that would be great," Tessa replied gratefully, having felt more than a little nervous that her mom still hadn't arrived.

He handed his phone to her, and she typed in her mom's number. It rang five times before she picked up.

"Hello? Who is this?" Tessa's mom asked.

"Mom, it's me, Tess," she replied. "Are you almost here?"

"I'm already here," she replied with a hint of confusion. "Are  _you_ almost here?"

It dawned on Tessa that there might have been a slight misunderstanding.

"Mom," she said, "Where are you right now?"

"Why, at the school, of course," she replied. "Where are you?"

Tessa almost slapped her forehead in frustration.

" _Mom_ , I'm in  _Hamilton_ ," she explained. "You were supposed to pick me up!"

"Hamilton?" she repeated. "I thought you told me to pick you up at the school! Alright, Tess, I'm coming. Just hang tight, I'll be there in an hour and a half."

"Wait, mom," Tessa said quickly. "You can't keep Scott waiting for an hour and a half."

"Right," she realized. "Tess, why don't you tell Scott that I'm coming, and let him know that I give you permission to be on your own for now. He doesn't have to wait for me."

Tessa quickly explained the situation, but Scott refused to let her stay at the restaurant on her own.

"Can I talk to your mom for a second?" he asked.

Tessa nodded and handed the phone back to him.

"Hi, Kate, it's Scott," he said warmly. "I'm sorry there was a misunderstanding, but there's no way you can drive all the way here and back. It'll be past midnight by the time you return."

"It's not a big deal, Scott," she replied. "Tessa can wait for me."

"No, I'm responsible for her right now," he explained. "I can drive her back to the school, and you can pick her up there. It cuts down our driving time by half."

"You don't have to do that," she objected, but eventually, she realized it was the best option. After all, it was getting late.

Once they hung up, Scott looked at Tessa. "Ready to go?"

She nodded, then followed him out of the restaurant and around a corner. He made a quick phone call, then they walked down one block and up to a black sedan parked outside of a large house. Scott opened the trunk for Tessa to put her bags in, then he sat in the driver's seat, and he motioned for Tessa to sit in the front passenger seat. She complied, and as the car drove away, she realized something.

"Scott, how is your car here, if you took the taxi with us here?"

"It's my friend's car," he replied, then offered no further explanation.

Despite his mysterious answer and lack of information about his personal life, Tessa trusted him. Still, as she looked out the window at the endless night sky, she couldn't help but wonder.

_Who was Scott Moir?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading two whole chapters! I hope you liked it so far, but if not, I'd appreciate constructive criticism as well!


	3. Year-End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final exams and skating finals are here. It's the busiest time of year, but Tessa wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a bit too much like the last one for my liking, but there's a little plot development. Hope it's okay!

The last four days had been non-stop for Tessa. On top of all her classes, she had to write all of her exams and go to skating practice every day after school. Finals started tomorrow, and she had to miss the whole next week of school, which also happened to be exam week. That's why she was writing all her exams early.

She had written her French exam just that morning. She thought she had done pretty well, but she wasn't so sure about her science exam, which she had written the day before. She had also already completed her English, geography, and history exams. On a June afternoon when the sun was shining, she sure was exhausted.

One exam left, and it was math. After these two hours in a quiet classroom writing the exam that would determine 30% of her mark, with Mr. Moir sitting there, too, they would be heading straight to Montreal for finals. She was excited, but for now, she was focused on math.

She walked into the familiar green classroom - green like her eyes - and took a seat at the familiar reddish desk at the front of the classroom, second from the end of the row. Over the course of the year, that desk had become hers, and she knew it was stupid, but she thought it brought her good luck. Mr. Moir had ignited an even stronger passion for math in her.

Only a moment after she was settled in her seat, he walked in to the room, with a warm smile on his face, as always. He carried just one thin package of paper, and set it down on Tessa's desk.

"You ready?" he said, and she knew he meant both the exam and the competition.

She nodded and smiled, feeling less nervous than she probably should have. He motioned for her to start the exam, and she opened the package of paper, skimming through the contents. She decided to start with the easier questions, collecting like terms and simplifying polynomials.

As predicted, she whizzed through the exam, calculating slopes and graphing, adding angles and completing word problems. She smiled when she came to a word problem involving the angle of a blade on the ice, using angle theorems to get to her final answer. Mr. Moir hadn't known this, but she had spent long hours combining her passions for skating and math, and she had already figured out exactly how to calculate those angles.

When she reached the end of the exam, she looked up at the clock, surprised to find that she had an hour to spare. She looked over at Mr. Moir, who was sitting at his teacher's desk with nothing to do but watch over her. She smiled, feeling grateful for his unending dedication to each and every one of his students, including (and especially) her. He caught her eye and gave her a thumbs-up, seeing that she was doing well.

She flipped back to the front of her exam, then double-checked, triple-checked, and quadruple-checked every question. She didn't want to be disappointed later on, but she was pretty sure she had nailed it. With half an hour left to go, she checked her answers once again, then looked up at her teacher again. Mr. Moir was starting to look bored. She got up from her seat and handed the package of paper to him.

"Done already?" he asked, feigning surprise. They both knew that he knew that she had finished long ago.

She nodded as he took the exam from her.

"Okay!" he said, getting up from his seat. "Ready to go to Montreal?"

"You bet!" she replied happily.

"Awesome!" he responded with just as much enthusiasm. "Meet you at the front door in ten minutes?"

She nodded. "See you then!"

Eight minutes later, Tessa arrived at the front door of the school, carrying her skating bag and a small suitcase for the trip to Montreal. It felt strange to be holding her skating things when it was almost 30 degrees outside and the sun was shining, but she was extremely excited nonetheless. She only waited a moment before Scott arrived.

"You're early again!" he joked. Tessa was early for everything, and he always teased her about it. She didn't mind; in fact, she liked it. Weirdly enough, it was cool having a teacher as a friend.

They took a taxi to the airport, where they would meet the rest of the team. They had left the school just a little bit earlier, while Tessa was writing her exam. When they arrived at the airport, they met the rest of the team in the security line. Scott had assigned Patrick to be in charge until he arrived. It was technically against school policy, but by the end of the year, Scott trusted him fully. He was the oldest member of the team, entering his graduating year, and he was a friend and mentor to all of his teammates.

Scott did a quick head count and took attendance. He frowned, and counted again. One person was missing.

"Who's not here?" he asked. "We're missing someone."

A friendly security personnel ushered the group to the security check zone, but Scott looked around as they moved slowly to the front of the line.

"Gabby!" he exclaimed, realizing who was missing. "Where is Gabrielle Daleman? She's competing!"

Gabby, Kaetlyn, and Tessa had all qualified for finals, as well as Patrick. Kaitlyn and Andrew had heartbreakingly just missed the cutoff, and Keegan had also not qualified. However, they were still all going to cheer on their teammates.

"Oh no!" Kaetlyn exclaimed, upset. "I totally forgot to check in with Gabby! I'm sorry, Scott."

"It's not your responsibility," he reassured her gently. "Patrick, get everyone through security, I'm going to call Gabby."

Patrick nodded and motioned for the team to follow him. Their bags went through the security check, then they followed. Once they reached the other side, they waited for Scott, who had just finished calling Gabby, then rushed through security, meeting them on the other side.

"Is she coming?" Tessa asked with genuine concern. Though not best friends, they had grown close over the course of the year.

Scott shook his head. "She decided that she doesn't want to come."

" _What?_ " Tessa and Kaetlyn exclaimed in unison.

"But she was so excited for finals!" Kaetlyn exclaimed, and Tessa nodded her agreement.

"She said that she was choosing to focus on final exams," Scott explained. "It's a shame we won't have her with us, but we should respect her decision."

Patrick nodded. "This is a really busy time of year. Gabby was really stressed about having a lot to do, and this is the decision that's right for her."

Tessa nodded in understanding. She had been so stressed about final exams, but she had looked forward to finals all year. This was what she had been working towards since the first competition, and after winning their third competition of the season, she had qualified, and she had been elated. Even though Kaetlyn hadn't won a competition so far, she had done well in all of them and qualified as a result. Patrick was in the same situation.

"Alright, team, we'll have to regroup and give Gabby all the support she needs." Scott said. "Ready to go to Montreal?"

They all cheered.

* * *

A few hours later, it was nighttime in a new province. The team was staying in a fancy hotel right in the heart of the city, and Scott had sent them off to their rooms almost immediately. It was late, and the competition began the following day, so they had to get some rest.

Tessa and Kaetlyn were roommates, Kaitlyn and Andrew shared a room, and Patrick and Keegan shared one as well. Scott had his own small room, but had reassured them that they were welcome to visit him any time. The rooms were fancy and spacious, but most of them had gone straight to sleep instead of checking them out.

Kaetlyn had gone straight to sleep, falling down onto the comfy bed in the smaller bedroom and falling asleep immediately. Tessa walked into the larger bedroom that remained, laughing softly. She was tired, but her friend was exhausted. She unpacked her bags and got changed into her pyjamas, then sat down on her bed.

She looked around the room. It was large, almost lonely. She had tried to be independent her whole life, but in times like these, with her whole team either asleep or rooms away, she just felt alone. She noticed a computer in the corner of the room, which surprised her. She only used a computer when she really needed to, and she used her mom's desktop computer at home. She had certainly never seen a hotel room with a computer.

She lay down on the bed, turning off the lights and trying to relax. She was nervous for the competition, but also incredibly excited. This would be the greatest skating adventure of her life, she thought. Her mind kept going to her teammates, and to Scott. Leading up to the competition, he had worked with her on the ice, often demonstrating complex sequences for her to follow. His grace and technique had impressed her greatly, and she looked up to him now not just as a teacher and coach, but also as a skater in his own right.

How  _did_  he become such an amazing skater, anyways? It was just another one of the many mysteries about him that intrigued her. The more she thought about it, the more awake she felt. She could hardly sleep now.

She sighed and sat up in bed. She looked around the room, needing something to calm her down. She noticed the computer, then against her instincts, she turned it on. The whirring sound filled the empty air, and her mouse click sounded sharply. She opened an internet browser, hesitated, then went into Google.

She typed in "Scott Moir" and pressed enter.

She waited one, two, three seconds and then the search results began to appear. The first link was to the world juniors website from a few years ago. Then were a few links to news articles, and then there were several pictures of Scott, younger, but unmistakable.

She kept scrolling, curious, and stopped at a video entitled "Scott Moir Canadian Junior Champion." She clicked on the link with fascination and watched the grainy video. Scott was impressive. She had seen him skate before, and she had been impressed, but she had no idea that he was a national champion. He had been to the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, and even though he hadn't won, he had done quite well. As she watched video after video, she was struck by his grace and passion on the ice. He could have been a professional figure skater.

So why wasn't he?

* * *

Despite having slept only a few hours, Tessa was rushing with energy and adrenaline as the opening ceremonies finished. It had taken a while to announce all of the competitors, but she had listened closely to each name being called, along with their ranks and whether they had won an event that season. She noticed that Gabby's name hadn't been called, so she had probably officially pulled out of the competition. She filled with pride when Patrick and Kaetlyn's names were announced, then blushed when her whole team cheered, Scott loudest of all, when her name was announced.

The boys' singles competition started almost immediately after the opening ceremonies, so they all got ready to cheer for Patrick. He was ranked pretty low compared to the rest of his competitors, but they knew that he would represent the team well.

Even the lowest-ranked boys, who went first, were still very impressive. Finals was full of only the best high school skaters from around the country. When Patrick's name was called, the whole team cheered, and he looked up at them from the ice and smiled. Scott, from behind the boards, looked on with pride.

As soon as Patrick started to skate, he captivated the whole audience. It was his best skate all season, filled with more emotion than anyone else's performances, and with perfectly executed technique. As soon as he finished, all of his teammates cheered louder than ever. He smiled and skated over to the side, meeting Scott at the kiss and cry.

"Nice job, Patrick," Scott said proudly, hugging him. "That was your best skate all year!"

"Thanks, Scott," Patrick replied gratefully.

They could barely hear the announcement of the score over the cheering of the team up in the crowd, but it showed up on the screen - Patrick was in first place by a wide margin. Scott congratulated him again, and as he returned to his seat, he knew that it was definitely possible, in fact, likely, that his score would be beaten multiple times by the end of the competition, but he was proud of himself nonetheless. He had represented the team incredibly well.

By the end of the competition, Patrick had finished in eighth place, very impressive considering he had entered the competition ranked barely within the top 50. All of his teammates were extremely proud of him, and Scott seemed proudest of all. Tessa wondered if Scott saw a bit of his younger self in Patrick. From the videos she had watched, they skated with the same passion. Scott had coached Patrick well.

The girls' competitions were in the afternoon, and the pairs competition was scheduled for the next day. Following that were performances by professional skaters, to inspire them, and the day after that would be the gala for top performers. For now, Tessa and Kaetlyn were getting ready for their competition.

Tessa was ranked third overall, which she still couldn't wrap her head around. She was the third-best high school skater in the country, and she was one of the youngest! Kaetlyn was ranked about thirtieth, which didn't fully reflect her true abilities, but they were all proud of her nonetheless.

The girls' competition began with the lowest-ranked girls, who were still very impressive. Tessa marvelled at everyone's skillful technique on the ice as she watched from behind the boards, and she felt extremely grateful and lucky to be competing alongside such incredible competitors. She looked over at Kaetlyn, who looked like she felt the same way.

Kaetlyn was called up to perform, and Tessa squeezed her friend's hand and wished her good luck as she stepped out onto the ice, her teammates cheering from up above. She smiled and glanced over at Tessa once more before settling on the ice, waiting a moment before the music from  _Carmen_  began to play, and just like she had practiced, she didn't hesitate as she started to skate.

One thing that the whole team admired about Kaetlyn was her ability to skate and jump with powerful confidence, but she had often started her routines a little insecurely. However, she had worked with Scott to portray that confidence right from the start, and it was truly captivating. Tessa watched with admiration as Kaetlyn landed a perfect sequence of difficult jumps, following it up with a technical sit spin with no hesitation.

Kaetlyn had demonstrated tremendous growth since the start of the year, and unlike her first competition performance, landed a perfect Axel to finish off the most technically challenging yet perfectly executed routine so far. Tessa cheered so loudly that some of the other skaters near her seemed startled, and Kaetlyn looked up with pride to see her whole team cheering her on.

It was no surprise when it was announced that she had the top score so far, at 116. That was extremely impressive, considering a score that high would easily have won any qualifying competition, and the second-place score at that moment was below ninety. Scott congratulated her before she returned to her seat next to the other competitors, and Tessa hugged her.

"That was  _amazing_ , Kaet!" she exclaimed with a huge smile. "I've never seen anyone skate that well before!"

"Thanks, Tess," she replied with just as bright of a smile. "But I've seen you skate. You're incredible, and you're totally gonna beat my score."

Tessa wasn't so sure about that, but just hugged her friend as the next girl began to skate. Only a few other skaters received scores higher than one hundred, none even close to beating Kaetlyn's score. Finally, it was Tessa's turn to skate, and she heard her whole team cheer as she walked out onto the ice.

 _If I don't beat Kaet, she'll be guaranteed a medal_ , she thought.

Then she remembered what Scott had told her so many times. Positive thinking, and have confidence. Always be a competitor. She corrected herself.

 _If I beat Kaet,_ I'll _be guaranteed a medal._

Both thoughts somehow made her feel infinitely more confident. Whatever happened, at least one of them would medal. She stood on the ice, holding her arms out gracefully, taking a deep breath and feeling ready to skate. She cast a fleeting glance over at the side, where Scott was beaming and giving her a thumbs-up. She smiled, feeling empowered before her skate for possibly the first time ever.

The powerful orchestral music began to play, and Tessa began to skate without hesitation. Her technique had always been flawless; her only flaw in the past had been her inability to skate confidently from the start. When she was on the ice before a skate, it was quiet, and she had always felt alone. But after watching Kaetlyn's empowered performance and knowing that she had Scott's confidence, all of Tessa's doubt had gone away. She wasn't alone, she had her whole team, she had  _Scott_.

Filled with confidence, she entered her Biellmann spin powerfully. It was the first time she had performed the spin in competition, but she had worked hard on developing new techniques with Scott, and she executed it perfectly. She continued with a complex jump sequence that Scott had choreographed for her. She had insisted that it was too risky to perform it in competition, but he had convinced her that she could do it. He was right, of course, because with a flawless landing, she knew that she had a good shot at winning.

She didn't even hesitate with her next sequence of jumps and spins, completing the routine with a powerful two-foot spin, and she heard her teammates begin to cheer. As soon as she stopped spinning, she quickly skated off to the side, the crowd roaring, and Scott helped her up into the kiss and cry zone.

"That was incredible, Tess!" he exclaimed, pulling her into a hug, then dropping his voice to a whisper in her ear. " _You_  were incredible. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, Scott," she whispered back, and she wasn't sure if he had even heard her, but she suddenly started to fill with emotion as the reality hit her. She had just skated the best performance of her life.

He pulled her closer to him, and being quite a bit shorter than him, she buried her face in his chest, overwhelmed with emotion. She could still hear her teammates cheering for her, but they seemed far away, as if she was having an out-of-body experience. Her head was spinning and the only thing she could feel the warmth of Scott holding her close to him.

Her mind was in overdrive, her senses overloaded, and try as she might, she couldn't make out her score, which was announced loudly followed by a collective gasp and cheer from the audience, carried by her teammates. She squinted up at the big screen, which displayed the rankings, but her eyes were filling with tears and she couldn't make out anything. She simply felt Scott hugging her again.

" _Incredible_ , Tess," he repeated, his voice filled with an expression she had never heard from him before. She felt stronger than she probably ever had in her life.

It was time for them to return to their seats as the next performance began, so Scott stood up, looking Tessa in the eye, and seeing her tears. He held both her hands in his and pulled her up, then smiled and patted her on the back. He was prouder of her than he ever had been of himself.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered to her, walking off to the coaches' area while still holding her hand. "Ready for your gala performance? Top three, that's incredible, Tess!"

She followed him to where all the other coaches were standing, not caring that she was supposed to be sitting with the rest of her competitors. All the other coaches were congratulating her, and she was still trying to wrap her head around that fact that she was within the top three in the country. Five minutes later, she was within the top two.

And in only a few moments, she was a national champion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not too happy with this chapter, to be honest. I'm hoping the next one will be better, but your feedback is greatly appreciated!


	4. Another New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's another new school year, and another incredible year of skating is about to start.

The three months of summer had felt like three years. Tessa hadn't realized how miserable, not to mention bored, she would have felt being away from school, away from skating, away from math, away from  _Scott_. At the end of the first day of grade 10, she was feeling happier than she had in a really long time. For one, she was in advanced math, so she was in a class with grade 11 students, and her teacher was Mr. Moir. She had a feeling that he would no longer mind if she called him Scott, even in class.

Her first math class was the following day, and she was a bit nervous to join a group of students who were all older than her, but at least she had one friend in the class, Andrew. Over the course of the previous year, they had become good friends on the skating team. He was one of the few guys that she could trust.

The first day had flown by, and when the final bell rang to signal dismissal, she ran out of class, carrying her skating bag, and dashed over to the rink. Skating team tryouts for the new school year were taking place, and she couldn't wait. She felt a flutter of nervousness, remembering how she had barely made the team the previous year, but laughed it off as she entered the rink. She was the defending national high school girls' skating champion, there was no way she wouldn't make the team. She wasn't about to take it for granted, though. She had practiced all summer.

She sat on the familiar bench behind the boards, taking off her shoes and tying on her skates. She breathed in the fresh smell of the ice and smiled as she stepped onto the ice, taking a few steps before gliding gracefully around the rink. She was in her own world, warming up with simple spins and graceful strides, enjoying the warmth that filled her despite the frigid air around. She was interrupted by a voice calling out.

"Tess!"

She spun around somewhat ungracefully, almost tripping on her toe pick, then blushed as she ran off the ice to greet her coach, who had just arrived.

"Scott!" she exclaimed, running up to him, still wearing her skates.

"Did you have a nice summer?" he asked as she gave him a hug.

"I guess," she said somewhat disinterestedly. "I was mostly waiting for skating season to start again! And for school to start again!"

"I totally understand," he replied with a laugh. "I'm so excited to be teaching you again this year! Grade 11 math, are you excited?"

"I am," she told him truthfully, "but also a little nervous. I don't know that many kids in the class."

"Hey, I'm your friend, isn't that all that matters?" he joked, then, right on cue, Kaetlyn walked in.

"Scott!" she exclaimed, running up to them.

He gave her a high-five. "How are you, Kaetlyn? Did you have a nice summer?"

"Honestly, I was  _so_ bored," she replied. "The rink was closed for most of July, and I had nothing to do! I'm so glad we're back at school."

Tessa laughed. Her friend had never been the most academically inclined, but skating was really the reason why she looked forward to school.

"Well, I'm really excited to coach you girls again this year," he told them. "Of course, you'll still have to try out, but unless you're an absolute disaster, I'm sure you're going to make the cut. The school's provided us with more funding this year, so we're allowed to take pretty much as many skaters as we want. You two, and the rest of the team, were so successful last year, it really helps the whole school."

Tessa beamed. She was glad that she had been successful, but to see that her success had a real impact on other people she was close to really made her proud.

"You girls better get warmed up," he suggested. "You want to do your best in this tryout!"

They nodded and Kaetlyn laced up her skates while Tessa headed back onto the ice. As she continued to skate in circles, refreshing her mind and regaining her coordination on the ice, she started to think about Scott. She had learned on the night before finals that he had been a Canadian junior champion, but she hadn't had time to ask him about it before school had ended.

Over the summer, she had been extremely curious, so one day, when she was home alone, she had used her mom's computer to do some research. She learned that Scott was only 22 years old, which surprised her. He had been a teacher for a few years already, so he must have been an exceptional student. She also learned that there had been a lot of speculation that he would become a professional skater after he had won the nationals, but he suddenly quit skating, stating no reasons. That puzzled her. He was really mysterious that way.

Deep in thought, she almost skated straight into Kaetlyn, who was regaining her balance after clumsily landing an under-rotated double toe loop. It was a difficult jump, and it was her first time back on the ice for a while.

"So sorry, Kaet!" Tessa exclaimed, quickly skating out of the way. "Are you okay?"

"I'm totally fine," she replied, laughing. "I guess I need a bit more practice! It's been a few weeks since I've been on the ice!"

The two best friends laughed and skated around the rink together, twirling and jumping for fun, as more aspiring skaters entered the arena and Scott greeted them. Tessa was happy to see Kaitlyn and Andrew, as well as Patrick and Keegan. She also saw Gabby walk in, as well as a few grade nine girls. She remembered when she was in grade nine, only a year ago, coming to these tryouts and feeling confident. She almost hadn't made the team, but Scott had been generous and let her, Kaetlyn, and Gabby all join the team. She would always be grateful for that.

Once everyone had settled down, Scott called them up from the ice to explain how the tryouts would work. Patrick and Keegan would go first (although they had already guaranteed their place on the team by being the only boys there), followed by the pairs (a young pair of grade nine students named Piper and Paul had also showed up), then the girls, because there were the most of them.

"Now, we're really hoping to expand this team, so I'll be happy to accept any of you if you're motivated and committed." Scott explained. "You don't have to be the best, but it's extremely important that you are always here to support the team."

Gabby looked a little guilty. She had missed a few practices the previous season, and decided to pull out of finals to focus on final exams. No one blamed her, of course. She did what was best for her, but she still felt like she had let the team down a little. She wasn't going to do the same thing again.

"So, if you can't completely commit to three practices a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays after school, please let me know." Scott said firmly. "To grow this program, we need committed team members, and it's not fair to the rest of the team if you can't commit to all of our practices."

Most of them nodded, and one girl in grade nine mumbled something about being busy on Fridays.

"If you want to join the team, you'll have to fully commit." Scott said gently but seriously. "We would love to have you on the team, but I'm afraid that's how it has to be."

Everyone nodded, and the girl seemed conflicted, but said nothing, so the tryouts began. Patrick was impressive as always, skating with passion and determination. Keegan was also impressive, showing great improvements in his technique since the previous year. Patrick watched his young friend proudly, and Scott immediately announced that they had both made the team, receiving applause from all of the students waiting to skate.

Next, Kaitlyn and Andrew skated a routine that they had been preparing for several months, executing every synchronized spin and each lift flawlessly. Tessa watched with admiration, and she fleetingly wondered what it would feel like to be lifted gracefully off the ice. She couldn't imagine ever skating with a partner, though.

Following Kaitlyn and Andrew were Piper and Paul, who looked a bit nervous as they took to the ice. Their moves were not as difficult as the more experienced duo, but they were quite in sync, even in their twizzles, which, although not as elaborate, were still impressive. Kaitlyn looked at her partner happily.

"They're pretty good," she told Andrew. "I'm really glad we'll get to be their teammates."

Andrew nodded in agreement, smiling back. "Me, too."

Scott overheard this conversation as the routine was ending, and he smiled at Kaitlyn and Andrew, then whispered something to them, and they vigorously nodded. As Piper and Paul left the ice, he turned back toward them.

"Nice job to both of our pairs!" Scott congratulated them. "I'm happy to say that both of you duos will get to be a part of the team. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, meet your teammates, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje."

"We're really excited to work with you this year," Andrew told them sincerely. "We're going to have a lot of fun!"

"Yeah, and if you ever want advice on working together on the ice or techniques you can use, we'll be happy to help you out." Kaitlyn added. "You two are great!"

Piper smiled. "Thanks, Kaitlyn, and thanks, Andrew! We would love that."

Paul nodded in agreement, and the two pairs sat down next to each other. Kaitlyn and Andrew started to talk to their new teammates, excited to be mentoring a promising young partnership.

"Alright, moving on to our girls' singles!" Scott announced. "First up, we have the defending national champion, Tessa Virtue!"

Everyone cheered as Tessa stepped onto the ice, blushing at the praise. She knew she had accomplished something big, and she knew that Scott was extremely proud of her. Now that she knew about his successes, it made her prouder of herself, like she had truly been validated. Not that she needed validation, but it was always nice.

The routine that she skated was her winning routine from finals. She knew that Scott had been incredibly proud of her when she had executed every difficult move, and she wanted to show him how much she had grown with his coaching. She appreciated him more than she could express in words, so she would demonstrate it in her skating.

She felt a little bit nervous with every jump combination and difficult spin, almost doubting her own abilities. What if she messed up? She knew that she would still make the team, but what would Scott think? What would the other girls think? After achieving such greatness, everyone certainly had high expectations of her.

She never faltered, though, and with each landing came a collective gasp from the grade nine girls, who couldn't believe that she could actually skate with such technique. When she finished the routine, she exhaled in relief. She had done it, and she hadn't made a mistake. All the other skaters cheered as she exited the ice, and Scott looked at her warmly.

"Don't be so nervous," he whispered, rubbing her shoulders as she returned to her seat next to him. "I've seen you a lot more confident than that."

She nodded slightly, the tension returning to her body. She hadn't been as good as she had thought.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he whispered, as if he was reading her mind. "You were great. Just something to work on, okay, Tess?"

She nodded again, this time feeling the stress ease a little. He really cared for her, and he understood her better than she understood herself.

She didn't pay much attention to the next tryouts, only focusing her mind on regaining her confidence. She knew what she was capable of, and she wouldn't doubt herself again.

Soon the tryouts had finished, and all of the girls had made the team.

"Now, I'd like to congratulate you all on a successful tryout," Scott told them. "If you have any concerns about your commitment, I need to know as soon as possible. Otherwise, you're dismissed, unless you'd like to stay behind and skate. I'll be here for a bit longer, and all of you are welcome to stay."

Almost everyone had to leave because it was getting late, except for Kaitlyn and Andrew, as well as Tessa, who was determined to show Scott that she still had her confidence. Scott noticed that they were staying behind, so he laced up his polished black skates and joined them on the ice. Kaitlyn and Andrew were already working on their twizzles, and Tessa cautiously practiced her sit spins.

Scott immediately skated over to her. "Tess, you need to loosen up!"

She sighed. "I know, I'm having trouble with that today."

"Don't worry, that's what I'm here to help with. Why don't we just skate around the rink first?" he suggested. "Before you move on to technical things, we need the fundamentals. You need to be more free."

"Okay," she said, and started to skate clockwise around the rink, Scott following with her.

It was a simple exercise, but as she gained speed, with the comfort of Scott right next to her, she felt completely at ease for the first time in a while. He took her hand and she laughed, looking over at Kaitlyn and Andrew, who were doing a similar thing, trying to stay in sync.

"Feeling better?" Scott asked.

She nodded, continuing to skate. "You were right, this really helps!"

"Trust yourself, Tess." he told her. "Do you really trust yourself?"

She hesitated, unsure of the true answer to his question. Suddenly, she felt tense again. "I... I don't know, Scott," she replied quietly, then added, "But I think I trust you."

He nodded slowly, seeming simultaneously a little surprised and not surprised at all. He didn't say anything, but kept holding her hand as they continued skating. She started to ponder his question. Did she trust herself? Sometimes, maybe. But not always. Without warning, he let go of her hand and she suddenly felt his strong hands around her waist. She was about to ask what he was doing, but instead she felt herself being lifted high above the ice.

It lasted only a moment, but in that moment, she was struck by how much she actually trusted him, even when he hadn't said a word, because she knew he would have held onto her with his life. She felt empowered in a way she hadn't felt since skating her winning routine at finals, because here was someone she could truly count on. Scott was here for her, no matter what.

As he returned her back down to the ice, she filled with warmth, and only when her skate touched the ice did her heart start to beat double-time. She felt overwhelmed, to say the least, but he held her carefully until she regained her balance. She turned to see him smiling at her, and her breath caught in her throat. The feelings she had just felt for Scott were more powerful than she had ever felt before.

It was more than admiration, more than appreciation, and more than absolute trust.

It was love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's getting complicated! It'll probably just get more complicated from here. Thanks for reading, and feedback is appreciated:)


	5. Dreams and Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been nearly four years since Tessa met Scott in her grade nine math class. Now, it's the end of grade 12, and Tessa has a life-changing decision to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the positive feedback!

Tessa had arrived home late from skating practice again. Finals were coming up, and this was her last year skating for Scott's team. She wanted to make it count. To add to the personal pressure, there was also pressure from the whole country on her to win. As the reigning national high school girls' champion for the last three years, she was ranked first heading into the all-important competition. Just because no one had ever achieved any scores even close to hers for years didn't mean that she shouldn't have to practice. She was putting it all on the line with the most technical routine she had ever attempted.

"Tess, is that you?" her mom called from a room far away. "Can you come here?"

"Yeah, I'm coming!" she called back, taking off her shoes and carrying her bags into the living room, before walking in the direction of her mom's voice, taking her to the office. "Hey, mom, what do you need?"

"I have a letter for you," she replied, handing her a large white envelope with a familiar purple crest on it.

"Is this..." Tessa trailed off, seeing the words "University of Western Ontario" written on it. She didn't know what it was, but she knew it was either a dream come true or a devastating disappointment.

"Do you want to open it now?" her mom asked.

She shook her head slowly, feeling nervous. "I'm going to unpack my stuff, and maybe I'll open it later."

Her mom nodded, understanding her decision, and she walked out of the office and up the stairs to her room, where she unpacked her bags and set her homework down on her neatly arranged desk, and carefully placed the envelope next to it.

She sat down to begin her calculus homework, but she couldn't even concentrate on adding numbers, let alone understand differentiation. She normally had no trouble with the types of questions she was attempting, but the envelope beside her distracted her greatly.

She sighed and picked up the unblemished white envelope, then without hesitation, tore it open. Inside was a folded sheet of paper, emblazoned with the University of Western Ontario's crest. She took a deep breath and began to read.

_Dear Miss Tessa Virtue,_

_On behalf of the University of Western Ontario, I would like to congratulate you on a successful application to study undergraduate Mathematics at the University of Western Ontario, commencing September 2007. Due to your outstanding achievements in Mathematics thus far, should you choose Western for the next four years, I would like to extend to you a full scholarship..._

The letter continued on for several paragraphs, but she stopped reading. A full scholarship? It was more than she could ever have imagined. She had dreamed of going to Western, and math was her true passion, and now her dream had come true.

She couldn't wait to tell Scott.

* * *

"I'm so proud of you, Tess!" Scott exclaimed when she told him the news the following day.

She had bumped into him in the halls before school, and he was happy to chat with her. Even though he was her teacher, they had become quite close friends after four years.

"Thanks, Scott," she replied. "I'm so excited! It's always been my dream to go to Western!"

Scott started to nod, smiling, then paused and his smile faded just slightly. "But what about skating?"

"What about skating?" she repeated, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." he replied, "Isn't your dream to skate?"

"What?" she said, feeling extremely confused now, and laughing a little. "Skating's my hobby, sure, and I love the team, but I've always wanted to go into math. Didn't you know? You're my math teacher!"

"I really thought..." he trailed off quietly. "Never mind. I must have misjudged... never mind." He laughed a little, playing down his true concerns. "Well, I'm happy for you, Tess."

She nodded slowly, acknowledging him, but she knew that something was off. She didn't want to ask, though, so she quickly said goodbye and walked away, arriving at her locker and finding Kaetlyn there.

"Kaet, guess what?" she said excitedly as she ran up to her friend.

"Let me guess, you got accepted into Western?" Kaetlyn guessed.

Tessa blinked, surprised, then laughed. "How did you know?"

"Really?" Kaetlyn said excitedly. "It was just a guess! That's awesome, Tess! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks, Kaet," she replied happily, hugging her friend.

"You have to tell Scott!" Kaetlyn exclaimed. "He's going to be so proud!"

She hesitated, and Kaetlyn sensed it immediately. "What's wrong, Tess?"

"Nothing, I already told him," she explained.

"Was he not proud?" Kaetlyn asked, suddenly concerned. "How dare he!"

"No, he was proud," she replied quickly, feeling like she was defending Scott. "But he seemed a bit off, like he was concerned or something." She paused. "He thought my dream was to skate."

"He's not wrong," Kaetlyn reflected.

"What?" Tessa exclaimed, taken aback. "No, skating's just a hobby! I've always wanted to pursue math. You're my best friend, didn't you know this?"

"I'm your best friend, of course I know you love math," she replied gently. "But I'm your best friend, I also know that you're happiest when you're on the ice. I've never seen a skater like you, Tess. You're even better than Patrick."

Patrick Chan had graduated two years ago, and he had moved to Montreal to become a professional skater. In Tessa's opinion, he was the greatest skater she had ever met. Well, maybe he was tied with Kaitlyn and Andrew, who had graduated last year and gone to nearby Waterloo to train to become a professional ice dance team. They were all amazing skaters.

"I'm not better than Patrick!" Tessa said quickly. "He was incredible!"

"And so are you," Kaetlyn pointed out. "Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't pursue math, but I agree with Scott. I always thought your real dream was to be an Olympic champion."

" _Olympic champion_?" Tessa exclaimed. "You're crazy!"

Kaetlyn shrugged, as if she didn't care but knew she was right. "If you say so. Look, Tess, if any of us - including Patrick, Kaitlyn, and Andrew - could be an Olympic champion, my money's on you."

Tessa shook her head, overwhelmed. Her dream was to pursue math, that was what Scott had worked her toward for the last four years, wasn't it? And she was extremely grateful for it! Yet as she slowly walked away from her friend, she started to think about everything else Scott had done for her, and it hadn't involved math. He had instilled a passion for skating in her. She had always loved math because she truly loved it, but she hadn't always loved skating like she did now. Before high school, she had mostly liked it just because she was good at it, but even though it was just a hobby for the last four years, Scott had made her incredibly passionate about it.

Was he right? She really didn't know now. She kept walking, feeling more and more confused, absentmindedly walking through the halls, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up and blinked, to see that it was none other than her favourite teacher and mentor.

"Oh," she said quietly. "Hi, Scott."

"Hey, Tess," he said, then paused. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

His quietly serious tone concerned her, but she nodded. She was always willing to listen to him. He motioned for her to follow him into a classroom, and she followed.

"I just wanted to say sorry," he said quickly, and paused, as if he was going to continue, but he stopped.

"What..." she said tentatively, "What are you sorry for?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry for reacting like that. I'm really proud of you, truly. I really am."

"I know," she replied truthfully. "You don't have to be sorry. I love skating, it's just that..." She paused, unsure of what to say.

"Tess, follow your dreams." he told her. "If your dream is math, I'm really happy for you. But if your dream is skating, don't let your doubts hold you back. You are fully capable of anything you want. If you want to be an Olympic champion, I have no doubt that you're going to get that gold medal."

She hesitated, thinking of what Kaetlyn had just told her. Olympic champion? The thought was inconceivable. But Scott never took anything lightly, and everything he said, she believed.

"I..." she started, then paused to think, then, quietly: "But you chose math..."

Scott looked startled. "I... what?"

"You..." she started, then paused. "You quit skating to become a math teacher, didn't you?"

For a moment she wondered if she had said the wrong thing. Maybe he had suffered an injury that forced him to quit. Maybe he didn't have the financial means to skate professionally. But by the look on his face, she had judged correctly.

He nodded slowly. "I did."

She waited for him to say more, but he didn't. So she was the one to speak. "But... aren't you happy?"

He took a deep breath. "At first, no. I thought I had made the worst decision of my life."

"But you don't regret it now?" she asked, hoping that he would give her something positive, something that could convince her that she was choosing the right path.

"I don't know," he replied ambiguously. "I always wonder what could've happened if I chose skating. Sometimes I still wish I had."

"But you're happy?" she asked.

He nodded, so she asked, "Why?"

He didn't say anything for a moment, but then he finally replied.

"Because I met you."


	6. Graduation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of high school, marking the end of Tessa's incredible four years with Scott. It could also very well mark the end of her illustrious skating career.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the support!

Tessa had no idea, looking back on this sunny June day in 2007, that this day would change her life. Every student in her grade had looked forward to today, it was graduation day! She was excited, too. It was the end of high school, the beginning of a new chapter, and while some of her friends were leaving for faraway places - Kaetlyn was going to Edmonton for university - she was staying right at home in London, ready to pursue her dreams at Western. She couldn't wait to spend the next few years continuing her studies in math; she knew that her inquisitive nature would lead her to success.

Sure, she was going to miss the little school, she would miss her friends, Kaetlyn, Gabby, Piper, and Paul, she would miss skating, and above all, she would miss Scott. He had been more than just her teacher; he had been a mentor and friend. When she had told him that she had made her decision, that she was taking up Western's offer, he had fully supported her. He had been the one to suggest that she should pursue skating professionally, but he knew that the decision she made was best for her.

It wasn't that she hadn't considered skating, because after he brought it up, she had spent weeks thinking about it. She had consulted her mom, who had just made the decision more difficult by saying that she trusted Tessa in choosing whatever she wanted to do.

Now, sitting onstage with all of her classmates in the school's auditorium, she was feeling overwhelmed and proud. She looked out at the audience, full of students in other grades, parents, relatives, and teachers. She was sitting in the back row of the many chairs onstage, but her relative height allowed her to look over the crowd of classmates in front of her. She spotted Scott sitting in the front row of the audience, and she filled with warmth. He caught her eye and smiled, and looking at him, she felt her eyes water as the reality started to hit her.

Everyone had looked forward to graduation because they would finally get to leave high school, but by leaving high school, she would also be leaving Scott, possibly for the rest of her life. He had been such a big part of her life for the last four years, was she ready to leave all of that behind?

She shook her head as if to clear it. She wasn't leaving Scott forever. She could always come back to visit him, especially since she was staying in the city for university. Maybe she could become a math teacher, and return to the school as his colleague. The thought made her smile, and she wasn't sad anymore. She was looking forward to more great years with Scott.

As she thought of him, she heard his name called aloud by the principal. Scott walked up to the podium to present yet another graduation award. She sat up straight, watching as he stood at the podium and spoke to the audience.

"This award goes to the student graduating with the highest four-year average in all high school mathematics courses," he announced, looking up from his paper. "It's my absolute honour to present this award to Tessa Virtue!"

She smiled, unsurprised by her achievement, as she got up from her seat and approached the front of the stage. She heard Kaetlyn cheering loudly, and noticed that many people in the audience were also cheering for her. She looked back at Scott, who had moved from the podium to hold the large plaque. She walked up to him and he smiled at her, handed the plaque, then embraced her in a warm hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Tess," he whispered before she returned to her seat, her peers cheering for her. She looked over at him one last time. Were those tears in his eyes? She wasn't sure. She had never seen Scott cry before, except maybe when he teared up when she won finals (each year for four years).

As she sat down, she looked back at Scott in the audience, smiling up at her. She wasn't sure how long she had been looking at him when the principal announced that they would be announcing the names and accomplishments of each graduate. She listened up, knowing that when her name was called, she would have to walk up to receive her diploma. Of course, with the last name Virtue, she waited quite a long time before her name was called, as they were called alphabetically.

"Tessa Virtue is graduating as a four-time national figure skating champion representing our school. She will be attending the University of Western Ontario with a full scholarship to study Mathematics."

Her classmates cheered, and as she received her diploma and shook hands with the principal, she glanced over the edge of the stage, down at Scott, who was cheering just as loudly as everyone else. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. Although she couldn't say how she could tell, she saw in his eyes one clear message, something he had said to her countless times over the years.

_I'm so proud of you, Tess._

* * *

After the graduation ceremonies, there was a party in the school gym. All of the graduates and their families were invited, as well as all of the teachers. Normally, Tessa avoided large celebrations, but this was her graduation. This was the last time she would see her friends for a long time. This was the last time she would see  _Scott_  for a long time.

How would she ever stop thinking about him? He had been such a large part of her life, she would go so far as to say he  _was_  her life for the last four years. She wasn't ready to leave him yet.

As if on cue, he broke into her thoughts by walking up to her and Kaetlyn, who was standing next to her.

"Hey, Tess, Kaetlyn," he greeted them through the noise of the other people around them.

"Hey, Scott!" Kaetlyn exclaimed enthusiastically, as Tessa waved to him at the same time.

"You're finally leaving this school, are you excited?" he joked.

"You bet!" Kaetlyn replied with a laugh. "Just kidding, I'm gonna miss you so much! You were an awesome coach, Scott."

They chatted for a bit, Kaetlyn expressing her excitement for the future. Tessa wondered if she was the only one who was really going to miss high school. She joined the conversation occasionally, but she was preoccupied taking in everything Kaetlyn and Scott had to say. She was taking in her final time with them in a long time.

"Anyway, I'm going to see if I can find Gabby," Kaetlyn said, starting to walk away. "I'd like to say goodbye to her before she goes off to Toronto."

"Yeah, if you find her, could you let me know?" Scott added. "I'd like to congratulate her before she leaves."

Kaetlyn nodded and walked away happily, searching for her teammate. Gabby hadn't been their best friend, but she had been a great teammate and skater, and Tessa was going to miss her.

With Kaetlyn gone, it left Tessa and Scott alone for the last time in a long time. Tessa would miss that. Most students would find it weird if they were always alone with their teacher, but she found it perfectly normal. Scott wasn't just her teacher, he was her coach, mentor, and most importantly, her friend.

"I'm going to miss you," he said simply, smiling a little.

She felt tears forming in her eyes as she realized how much he meant it. "I'm going to miss you too, Scott," she replied just as sincerely. "I'm going to miss you so, so much. But hey, at least I'm staying in town! I'll visit the school often. Maybe I'll even become a teacher!"

He smiled. "Champion figure skater to math teacher," he reflected, wondering whether he was really talking about himself or about her. "Whatever you want to do, I know you can do it, Tess. And you know I'll support you every step of the way."

Something about his words struck her deeply. He had wanted her to pursue skating, but he had said that he would be happy for her, whatever she chose. That didn't mean he had necessarily supported her, but now he had said it. He supported her, no matter what, and his support meant the world to her.

Somehow, as if he could read her mind, he addressed her thoughts exactly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," he said with a hint of regret. "I want you to be happy, Tess, and if you're happy, I'm happy, too."

"And if you're happy, I'm happy," she repeated his words with a smile. "Scott, I just want to thank you for everything you've put into the skating program. I know that skating is your passion, and I want you to be happy, too. If you really want to go back to skating, you should!"

He smiled at her suggestion. "Thanks for your confidence, Tess, but I'm happy teaching. These last few years have changed me. You..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but she knew what it was.  _You've changed me._

As she fully processed the thought, she remembered something else that he had told her. He had been unhappy teaching until he had met her. She didn't know what that meant, only that it meant that there was no guarantee that he would be happy when she left. Just as he had changed her life, she had changed his.

She started to address this. "Remember when you said-" She paused as she realized it might not be the right thing to say. They were friends, yes, but their connection ran so much deeper. She didn't want to say the wrong thing. After all, he was still her teacher, even if their relationship was a lot more than that.

"Yeah," he replied, much to her surprise. "And I meant it." She was about to ask what on earth he was talking about, but he continued talking. "I've never had a student like you," he explained. "When I first started teaching, it was like none of my students cared. And most students don't care about math."

Tessa nodded in understanding. She had felt that about Kaetlyn. She loved her friend, but she really didn't have the same passion for math.

"I thought I had made the wrong decision, choosing to share my passion for math with a group of kids who would never care, instead of doing what I really loved, which was skating." he continued. "But you, Tess... I could tell immediately that you really  _did_  care. You weren't just trying to stick up to me. You really did love math."

"I do," she amended. "I really do."

"And you were the reason I was happy teaching," he admitted. "As long as you were interested in what I had to say, I would keep sharing my passion with you. Math and skating. So when you succeeded, it was like I succeeded, too. Every time you won a competition, I felt like I had done my job."

She noticed that he had shifted from talking about math to skating. She knew that he supported her, even though she had chosen to pursue math, but he didn't want her to forget about skating. And she wouldn't, she would never lose her passion for skating.

"You inspired me, Tess," he admitted. "You did your best at everything you put yourself to, you pushed yourself to your limits, and no matter what, you always succeeded."

She blushed at his compliments, but objected them sincerely. "But success isn't everything, Scott.  _You_  inspired  _me_ , and that's why I did my best at everything. I wanted to make you proud. I pushed myself to my limits because you believed in me, and I knew you always would, even if I failed. And I succeeded because you were there for me."

"That means a lot, Tess," he replied with equal sincerity. By the look in his eyes, she could tell that it really did mean a lot to him. That he had needed her just as much as she had needed him. Every time he had said that he was proud of her, it meant more than just that to him. Every time she had succeeded, she had made him really, truly happy.

And what she really wanted was for him to be happy. If her successes would make him happy, then she would sacrifice everything for him. He believed in her no matter what, and he supported her unconditionally. Despite knowing this, she realized that she had already made her decision. The ice was calling her back.

She was going to become an Olympic champion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was inevitable, wasn't it? :)


	7. Vancouver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tessa was skating to become an Olympic champion. In 2010, she had a chance to chase that dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the support!

In the first few months, Tessa was skating to make Scott proud. She should have known that feeling wouldn't last. By the time she had reached nationals, she hadn't contacted him for almost a year, and she was skating to make her country proud. Scott was just one person in all of Canada, and she knew that she wanted to make everyone proud.

In 2010, she had the chance of a lifetime. Against all odds, she had qualified for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and she found herself in a different province with the whole country behind her. She was representing the host country, the crowd would all be rooting for her, and she had practically become a national celebrity. Yet as she lay on her bed in her room in the Athletes' Village, the night before the biggest skate of her life, she found herself thinking about her high school skating coach.

He should have seemed so insignificant. She had travelled the world working with the best coaches, improving her technique, learning how to skate like never before. She had never felt so empowered, yet it was only Scott that her mind kept going back to.

It had been almost three years since she had graduated high school, and it had been almost that long since she had last seen him. She had forgotten to keep in touch, and he hadn't said a word. She wondered what he would think. Surely he knew that she was here at the Olympics, and it was more than likely that he would be watching her closely. Was he proud of her, like he always had been? Was he happy, like he said he would be? Or was he sad, thinking that he hadn't been her life's biggest inspiration? Could she ever make him understand that?

At only 20 years old, Tessa had been through so much, yet so little. She had spent so much time learning to be independent, proving to others that she didn't need anyone to be successful. For the most part, it was true. But now, in beautiful British Columbia, far away from home, even with the whole country at her back, she felt completely alone.

It was ironic, and she didn't know whether to laugh or feel upset. She had never had more support from more people, yet when she finally needed someone at her side, there was no one. She couldn't understand why, but even when she had been alone, she hadn't truly felt alone. She had always felt like Scott was there for her, even when he was halfway across the world and they hadn't talked for years. But now, at the Olympics, it seemed like he was so far away, like he wasn't there for her anymore.

But then she remembered what he had said to her. He had said that he would always support her, no matter what. Years ago, she knew that he had meant it. But now? She didn't know.

* * *

Tessa hadn't felt this vulnerable in years. Standing on the ice in the largest arena she had ever skated in, with the whole crowd chanting her name, her head was spinning. She looked around the ice, but her vision blurred. The cheer of the crowd sounded far away, and all she could feel was an overwhelming sense of solitude. She was completely alone. No one was standing beside her, no one could help her. Her gold medal dream depended on herself, and herself only.

Then she remembered that she was skating for her home crowd, the Canadian fans. The whole country was depending on her, and she was going to make them proud. There were thousands, if not millions, of people that she was skating for. She was representing Canada, and everyone from the Prairies to the Maritimes, to right here in Vancouver. She couldn't let everyone down.

A moment later, the uplifting, carefree music of her short program began to play, and she began to skate. Her program was one of the more technical performances planned for the night, but she wasn't thinking about that. She executed every jump flawlessly, and as she spun, she saw all of the Canadian flags around the arena. All of the fans were cheering for  _her_ , and she was skating for them. With every camel spin, every sit spin, every time she turned in any direction, all she could feel was the whole country expecting greatness from her. They were counting on her to succeed.

Each move was made by muscle memory. She didn't have to concentrate on what she was doing, only what she was feeling. Being at the Olympics still seemed surreal, and the more she thought about it, the more dazed she felt. As she circled the large ice surface, she couldn't help but feel completely alone, like she was something tiny and insignificant in such a large place. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that she should have been focusing on the routine, but she hardly felt it as she slipped during the landing of a double Axel, barely catching herself on her other foot. She barely heard the gasp from the crowd; she just kept skating.

She recovered pretty quickly, but it had done the damage. As soon as she fully realized her mistake, her breath caught in her throat and she felt tears spring to her eyes, but she had to keep going. Despite her mistake, the home crowd roared as she ended the otherwise stellar performance with a catchfoot layback spin, propelling herself around and feeling, for the first time that day, the sense of raw power that usually consumed her on the ice.

She had done it. She had skated on Olympic ice for the first time, and she hadn't been perfect, but she had done it. She waved to the crowd, then quickly rushed off the ice. Her group of Team Canada coaches congratulated her as they took a seat and waited for her score to be announced.

She had sat in this position countless times over the years, but this time, she noted how far away her coaches seemed. She had a large support team, but every one of her coaches was sitting a fair distance away from her. She had lots of space next to her on each side to move, and once again, she felt lonely.

She thought of the first time she had sat in the kiss and cry zone, waiting for her score to be announced. She thought of the feeling of a coach's warm arms around her, congratulating her, even if she hadn't been perfect. She thought of the feeling of knowing she had someone who supported her unconditionally.

She thought of Scott.

She longed for that feeling of comfort, one she had lacked for the last few years. Skating had been about winning, representing her city, her province, her country. She had to train with the best coaches, travel around the world, and do what was best for her career. But what about what was best for  _her_? The more she thought about it, the more alone she felt. She should have been ecstatic, she was an Olympian, Canadian champion, everything a skater could want. But she wasn't happy, and she certainly wasn't feeling the passion for skating that she once had.

"Tessa Virtue, representing Canada." The announcement came over the speakers and the crowd cheered, but she hardly felt the impact. "With a score of 56.70, in sixth place."

She noticed how the crowd's cheering quieted, and although her coaches were congratulating her, she knew they didn't really mean it. The disappointment was clear on their faces. They weren't the types of coaches who would support her no matter what, they wanted only the best, and she hadn't delivered tonight. Even worse, she watched as the Canadian flags in the stands lowered just a little.

She had let her country down.

* * *

Two days after her disastrous short program, Tessa was feeling discouraged. Tonight was the night of the free skate, but in fifteenth place, her gold medal dream was over. She had wanted to make her country proud, but she wouldn't be an Olympic champion. Her coaches had tried to comfort her, but she didn't feel much better. She didn't even feel like skating.

As she wandered the Athletes' Village, then walked outside to explore beautiful Vancouver, she knew she wasn't feeling right. Despite her struggles, she should have been extremely proud that she was at the Olympics, proudly representing her country, no matter the outcome. As much as she wanted to feel this way, she just couldn't bring herself to. She longed for home, she wished she was back in London, where she had her family and friends. It hurt that her family was unable to make it to Vancouver to cheer her on. She knew they were watching her from back home, but she still felt alone.

As an Olympian, successful or not, fans couldn't help but stop her every few minutes as she explored the Olympic venues. Seeing all these people who supported her made her feel a little better, but at the same time, these were all the people she had let down with her short program. She sighed as she turned around, ready to return to the Athletes' Village and prepare for that night's free skate, when she heard a voice calling her name from behind her.

"Tessa! Tessa!"

She couldn't walk away from a fan, so she turned back around, did her best to smile, and started to approach the fan who had called out her name. She stopped in her tracks as she took in the sight of the man, decked out in Canadian colours, but it wasn't his patriotic outfit choice that made her do a double take. No, as soon as she saw him, she recognized him right away, and her heart filled with joy.

"Scott!" She ran up to him, her fake smile turning into a real one, and she couldn't contain her excitement. She threw her arms around him and almost knocked him down with her energy.

"So, what's it like being an Olympian?" he joked, returning her hug.

"Lonely," she replied without thinking, then tried to cover it up: "I mean, it's awesome, especially now that you're here!"

He seemed to either not hear or at least ignore her first comment, much to her relief. He looked her up and down. "You've grown up so much, Tess!"

"I know, and I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch." she apologized, realizing that he had missed her just as much as she had missed him. "I missed you so much, Scott."

"I missed you too, Tess," he replied, squeezing her arm affectionately. "I'm so proud of you, but I always knew you could do it."

She smiled, then paused to remember what he had told her years before. "You told me I'd be an Olympic champion," she reminded him. "I'm not there yet."

"Don't let one mistake define you, Tess," he advised her, and she couldn't have been more grateful for his support. She had missed that part of him. "You still have years to go."

She hesitated to tell him what she had been thinking, and it was only a second, but he noticed the change in her expression, and immediately expressed his concern. "What's wrong, Tess?"

"Nothing, I just... it gets kind of lonely sometimes." she replied vaguely, then moved on quickly. "Thanks for coming here, anyway. You really made my day."

"Thank  _you_ , Tessa." he replied, giving her a hug. "You've inspired everyone back home, especially me. Patrick wants you to know he's incredibly proud of you. Remember we're all here for you, even if we're halfway across the country."

His sincere words touched her, and she started to feel like she was no longer alone. She had all her old friends, those she hadn't talked to for years, and they were all still rooting for her. They hadn't left her at all.

"That's... really special to hear," she admitted. "Thanks, Scott. I really appreciate your support."

"All for you," he replied with a smile, then he hugged her quickly. "Good luck tonight. I'll be cheering for you, loud and proud."

"Thank you," she replied, hugging him back and getting ready to return to the Athletes' Village.

He kissed her quickly on the forehead and smiled, then she sprinted away, her smile growing.

* * *

Standing on Olympic ice again that night, Tessa filled with a very different emotion. Gone was her vulnerability, her loneliness. She looked up at the crowd and saw Scott, waving a flag proudly for her. She was representing Canada, but more importantly, she was skating for him. He had taught her confidence and tenacity, and she was going to show everyone that. Her short program was over, and now she was starting again with her free skate. She couldn't do anything about her past mistakes, but she could embrace her present opportunity.

She took a deep breath before the powerful, passionate music began to play, and she immediately felt that powerful confidence that she had lacked when she arrived in Vancouver. Every time she jumped, she was fearless, and every time she turned, she filled with adrenaline. Her heart pounded in her chest with every passionate step, and she wasn't thinking about how her country was counting on her. She was just thinking about herself, the emotions she was feeling, and the magic of being on the ice. She had found that magic with Scott, and now that he was back, her passion was back, and stronger than ever.

Muscle memory took over and a few minutes seemed to fly by. Tessa blinked twice, smiling at the crowd, and realized that she had finished her performance, and everyone was cheering for her. She had never experienced such an enormous amount of support for her, but she was looking at one person, and one person only. He smiled back at her.

As she walked off the ice, she was flooded with congratulations from her coaches and support team, but she hardly heard them.

"Nice job, Tessa!"

"Congratulations!"

"That was amazing, Tessa!"

Her head was spinning after her passionate performance, and she sat down unsteadily. When they announced her score, it was hardly a surprise that she was in first place by a considerable margin, but there were still fourteen performances after hers. She would have to wait and see how her score held up, but she hardly cared. She had done her job, she had given it her all, and whatever the outcome was, she was an Olympian, and she had skated the best performance of her life.

She ran backstage, where all of the skaters went after their performances. Some of the skaters from other countries were standing there, and they congratulated her, knowing that they didn't really have a chance at medalling, and that her performance was truly spectacular. She had represented Canada incredibly well, bouncing back after a disappointing performance and putting up a score to beat.

As each performance went by, Tessa watched as each skater was second, third, fourth, or fifth place. Her score was holding up, and she was still in first place in the competition overall. She really hadn't hoped at all of medalling, but when there were only three skaters left when her overall first place position was surpassed, she wondered if she had a chance. She knew it was unlikely, and when she watched the next skater beat her score, she began to congratulate everyone else around, ready to leave the venue.

"You're leaving?" An American competitor who was ranked very low asked her. "What if you medal?"

She laughed in a friendly way. "Thanks for the compliment, but it'll hardly happen. I'm really proud of how I did today, but my short program was disastrous."

"You still have a chance," another competitor added. "You're in third right now!"

She blushed, seeing more and more of her fellow competitors approach her to express their confidence in her. "Okay, I'll stay," she finally decided, wanting to connect with some of the other athletes, anyway.

As she talked to the other athletes, some just teenagers, and some ready to retire, she kept an eye on the monitor displaying the TV broadcast. Much to her surprise, there was only one performance left, and she was still in third place. She hardly dared to hope for a medal, but when the final skater fell on a triple Axel attempt and never fully recovered, Tessa knew she had won bronze. Against all odds, she was an Olympic medallist, and it was surreal. The other athletes around her congratulated her when the final results were announced, and suddenly, she had to get ready for the medal presentation.

The next few minutes were the most chaotic Tessa had ever experienced. The three medallists were gathered to get ready for the medal presentations, fans flocked to try to get pictures, and there were other skaters and coaches everywhere. Tessa seemed to be the only one who wasn't with her coaches, but she couldn't care less. She was already planning to find new coaches once she got home.

Before she knew it, Tessa was standing backstage with only the two other medallists, peeking out onto the ice, where a podium had been set up. They were motioned onto the ice, Tessa going first, because she was on the farthest side of the podium.

As soon as she walked out onto the ice, the crowd went wild. No one had expected her to bounce back after her short program, and a bronze medal was something that the Canadians were all extremely proud of. She waved to the crowd, making sure to make eye contact with Scott, and when she did, she felt his presence like he was right next to her, and in that moment, she knew she wouldn't stop smiling for that whole night.

"From Canada, Tessa Virtue, your ladies' figure skating Olympic bronze medallist!" a voice announced from the speaker, as she stepped up onto the podium and waved to the cheering crowd.

She watched as the blue ribbon went around her neck, then she felt the heavy weight of the medal as it dropped onto her chest, the bright bronze light reflecting back up at her. The crowd roared and she looked up, raising one hand to the fans and the other to the medal. She held it up in awe, seeing the wavy, round medallion, engraved with the five Olympic rings. This was unlike any medal she had ever won, no matter what colour. It was truly special.

As she felt the cool, hard metal against her hand, she looked up into the crowd, to the warm, loving gaze of the one person who had gotten her through this tiring, yet rewarding competition. He looked back at her, and she couldn't mistake the pride in his eyes. She had skated so that he could be happy, and her sacrifice had finally paid off.

She had done, and would do, anything for Scott.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems like a nice ending, but the excitement's hardly begun! I'm really excited for the next few chapters:)


	8. Reconnections and Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When your passion starts to fade, it might be time for a change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, it's pretty much the most important chapter plot-wise, but I feel like I could have done a better job. Feedback is greatly appreciated!

One year after her Olympic comeback, Tessa was back home in London, Ontario. She had competed in several events, then lost at the nationals. It hadn't been close, either. It had shocked the country, that the Olympic bronze medallist would not be going to worlds. After a disappointing season, she just couldn't bring herself to want to compete anymore.

It wasn't just because she was losing. Even when she had lost in the past, she kept skating because she loved it. She'd had the drive to succeed, but now, she didn't even care. After returning from the Olympics, everyone had expected great things from her, but no one was really there for her. She felt alone, defeated, and unsure about her future. There was no way she was going to last until the next Olympics, but she didn't have anything else to do with her life.

That's how she found herself sitting on her bed, in her house, alone, when the doorbell rang. She raced to the door, knowing who it was, and anticipating his arrival.

"Scott!" she exclaimed as the opened the door.

She barely saw him before she felt his arms thrown around her, and she laughed as she hugged him back. He laughed, too, then she motioned for him to enter, before closing the door behind him.

"So, why did you want to talk to me, again?" he asked as they both settled down comfortably on the couch in the living room.

"I need your advice," she explained. "And there isn't anyone in the world who understands me better than you."

He smiled and blushed a little at her honesty, but he shook his head. "Tess, I've hardly talked to you since you graduated. I wish we'd kept in touch, but surely there's someone else who's been supporting you these past few years? A coach, maybe? Or a friend?"

She paused to think. A coach? No, she had just hired new coaches because her previous ones hadn't understood her at all. They had been only focused on how many jumps she could execute in a row, how many rotations she could spin before falling down, and they didn't stop to think about what skating actually meant to her. And her new coaches? They didn't seem to be much better.

What about a friend? As she thought about it, Tessa realized that she hadn't really had any friends since she began skating competitively. Sure, she occasionally kept in touch with Kaetlyn, and Andrew had called her  _once_ , wishing her good luck from himself and Kaitlyn. But other than that, she really didn't have any friends. Scott had been her lifeline; just the hope that he was watching her had gotten her through the whole Olympic cycle.

As she considered, he watched her closely, and seemed to read her thoughts. He could sense that her coaches' dynamics didn't really help her, and she had been too busy focusing on her career to keep in touch with her friends. He could tell that she regretted it, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her. She had grown up so much, yet she hadn't changed one bit.

He hugged her gently, and she seemed to melt in his embrace. She hadn't felt such a close connection to anyone, ever. Her emotions bubbled to the surface as she felt his warmth surrounding her, a complete contrast to the icy cold she usually received from everyone else. His arms were wrapped around her shoulders, his head nestled in the crook of her neck, and she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She hadn't felt this much emotion since the last time she had seen him, when she had made her Olympic comeback to win bronze.

It took him a moment to realize, but as soon as he noticed that she was crying, he sat straight up, full of concern. "Oh no, oh no, Tess..."

His genuine concern, his sincere love for her just made her more emotional. No one had ever cared for her so much, she had never felt so loved. He started to get up to find tissues, about to ask her what was wrong, when she pulled him closer to her and shook her head.

"It's okay," she mumbled. "I'm okay."

He nodded, knowing that she meant it, but still full of concern. He had always been the emotional one; she always kept her cool. He had never seen her emotions take over, but years of pressure could take its toll. She had been through a lot, and without anyone to support her. He filled with regret, wishing he had been there for her. He had no idea how difficult it had been for her.

"Okay," he said at last, simply holding her in his arms. "I'm always here for you, Tess. No more years of losing touch."

She laughed softly through her tears. "Thank goodness. You have no idea how much I missed you, Scott."

"I missed you a hundred times more," he replied softly. "You have no idea how miserable I was those first few months. But watching you succeed, Tess, it made me so happy."

That confession, that she had truly made him happy, seemed to lift a huge weight off her, and she couldn't help but start to cry again.

"Really?" she asked, her voice squeaking a little.

"Really." he affirmed. "I was so, so happy, Tess."

She didn't say anything, simply hugging him tighter and burying her face in his chest. She mumbled something, and he looked at her body comfortable snuggled up against him.

"What did you say, Tess?" he asked, having not heard her muffled words.

She took a deep breath, sat up a little, and looked him in the eye. "Then I've achieved my goal."

He looked at her in puzzlement, then shook his head. "Sorry, Tess, I don't think I understand. What goal are we talking about?"

She watched him for a moment, trying to contain her emotions, then she began to respond. "The only reason why I kept skating," she admitted, taking a deep breath and blinking to keep the tears away, "Was so that you would be happy."

She watched as confusion crossed his expression, then shocked understanding. "Tess, I-" he started, then shook his head in disbelief, the implications of her decision starting to weigh on him. "You really changed your mind because of me?"

She nodded. "You said... you said that I made you happy, and you wanted me to succeed, and..." She trailed off, not knowing how to express the love for him that had driven her to skate.

"You mean... you didn't change your mind because you actually wanted to skate?" he asked softly. "You didn't change your mind because you loved skating?"

Never in his life had anyone sacrificed so much for him, and the weight of it crushed him. He had never felt so much regret.

"I loved skating," she reflected quietly, "But I changed my mind because I loved you."

"Tess," he whispered, and now tears were sliding down his face. "I'm so sorry."

She didn't say anything for a moment, not knowing what to say. Then she realized how much regret he was feeling, and it was because of her. "Don't be sorry," she replied. "I'm a national champion, I'm an Olympic bronze medallist. None of this could've happened without you."

"But you're not happy," he spoke the truth. "That's all I wanted for you. I wanted you to be happy."

"I'm happy," she reassured him, unsure of whether she truly meant it. Then she corrected herself. "I'm happy when I'm with you."

"And  _I'm_  happy when I'm with  _you_ ," he added. "But Tess, I never want you to sacrifice anything for me again."

She didn't say anything for a moment, trying to take in everything that had just been said. "Scott, what am I going to do now?"

"About what?" he asked.

"Like... what am I going to do with my life? Do I keep skating? I don't really want to, but if you-"

He interrupted her quickly. "Tess, if you don't want to skate, don't skate. I'll support anything you want to do, as long as it makes you happy."

"Okay," she reflected. "I could go to university, study math... but I don't really want to do that, either. I just can't imagine going through another four years, skating, all alone..."

"But you wouldn't be alone, I'd be there for you, if you want," he pointed out. "But only if you  _want_  to keep skating."

She shook her head. "The worst part about skating is standing on the ice, all alone, with no one next to me, even in the biggest competitions. Like the Olympics."

"So you don't want to skate?"

"I... I don't know," she replied, feeling mixed emotions. Scott's support had empowered her and revived her passion for skating, but she wouldn't make it through another Olympic cycle.

"Well, if you still want to skate, but you don't want to be alone, why don't you skate with a partner?" he suggested. "You have the technique for pairs, and the passion for ice dance. I think you'd be amazing."

"Ice dance," she reflected, thinking about her admiration for the partnerships she had seen in the unique discipline over the years. "I think I'd like that."

"Yeah?" he replied. "Well, you'd better start looking for a partner. I'm sure there's tons of guys out there who'd love to ice dance with Tessa Virtue."

* * *

Two weeks later, though, she still had no idea who she wanted to skate with. It was hard to form new partnerships, especially as she didn't have very many connections in the skating world. She had said goodbye to her coaches, quit singles skating for good, and started looking for ice dance partners. But she couldn't find anyone, no matter how good she was.

Feeling discouraged, she wondered if she wanted to go back to university and quit skating altogether. She seriously considered it, but wondered whether she would end up regretting it. Then she remembered something that Scott had said years ago.

_I always wonder what could've happened if I chose skating._

The answer was right in front of her.

Ice dance would never see a partnership like Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So exciting! This is my favourite plot twist, ever. Get ready for a wild adventure!


	9. Partnership

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tessa and Scott are ready to take over the ice dance world, but they have a lot of work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost the end of the story, but the VirtueMoir adventure's just beginning!

When she asked Scott to be her ice dance partner, he had initially replied with disbelief.

"Really, Tess?" he had replied, almost skeptically.

"Yes," she had told him seriously. "Will you skate with me, Scott?"

He had agreed, of course, and Tessa was beyond elated. She didn't care that they didn't have a good chance of succeeding at all. She didn't care that they probably wouldn't win a single competition, let alone qualify for the Olympics in 2014. They probably wouldn't even last until then, anyway. She didn't care that he was already 27, and she was only 21. The only thing she cared about was that this would be the greatest experience of her life, with the person she loved most in the world.

Now, Tessa stood on the ice in the Ilderton Skating Club, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her partner. This was his skating club, and she was more than happy to join him here. She barely skated one lap around the rink before she heard his voice calling out, and she quickly skated over to him, beside the boards.

"Scott!" she greeted him enthusiastically. "Are you excited?"

He nodded, a smile crossing his face. "You bet I am! Let me get my skates on, then I'll be all ready."

She smiled, gave him a thumbs-up, then went back to skating around the rink. She practiced her spins, knowing how important timing would be, especially with a partner. She was completely lost in her movements, and didn't realize how long it had been until she noticed Scott staring at her from behind the boards.

She blushed and quickly skated over to him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting!"

He shook his head and smiled. "I was just watching you. You're incredible, Tess!"

She blushed again at his compliment. "Thanks, Scott," she replied gratefully. "I can't wait to skate with you!"

"It's my honour," he replied, making them both laugh. "Come on, let's get on the ice!"

Without hesitation, he jumped over the boards, joining her at ice level. He took her hand and they started to skate around the rink, laughing and spinning around. They were having fun, more fun than Tessa had ever had in a really long time. For once, she felt carefree on the ice, her cheeks and nose reddening from the cold air, and her eyes shining.

"If we're going to be an ice dance team, we'd better get started on our twizzles!" Scott commented. "How many of those have you done recently?"

"Not many," Tessa replied with a laugh, beginning to clumsily spin as she moved toward him in her best attempt at a twizzle.

She nearly fell over at the end of the spin, losing her balance as she tried to upright herself, but he caught her, and they both laughed as she steadied herself.

"Looks like we have some work to do!" he joked, following her and attempting a twizzle himself.

He was much more successful, gracefully spinning across the ice and maintaining his balance until the end of the spin. He held his arms out triumphantly, before they both started to laugh again.

"Nice," she said, once again attempting her spin, and losing count of her rotations as she confusedly regained her balance.

"Almost!" he replied encouragingly, causing her to smile. "You're doing great, Tess!"

She laughed and they continued to twizzle. It didn't take long for her to get the technique just right, but they couldn't get in sync with each other. Breathless with exertion, Tessa laughed.

"I'm getting better, don't you think?" she asked Scott, who was already an expert in twizzles.

"Definitely," he affirmed. "There's nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it!"

She smiled. "Want to try lifts?"

He hesitated, his smile fading. She noticed instantly, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied quickly. "I've never lifted anyone on the ice before. I wouldn't want to drop you."

She grinned. "Don't worry about it! I know you won't." She paused, thinking. "You've lifted me before, and you didn't drop me!"

"I did?" he asked, clearly confused.

She nodded. "It was our first practice when I was in grade ten, remember? I was feeling pretty shaky about my skating. You told me I had to get my confidence up, so you lifted me. Remember?"

He paused, then nodded slowly. "I think so. Yeah, I did that."

"Yeah?" she replied. "Ready, then?"

He nodded slowly again, seeming a little unsure, but for the sake of his confidence, she ignored it as they began to skate side-by-side. Tessa felt powerful and carefree, and she wasn't sure, but Scott next to her didn't seem the same way. Still, she continued.

She took a deep breath, ready to signal for him to lift her. "And... now!"

She felt his strong arms around her waist and prepared herself for the exhilarating sensation of being lifted up above the ice. Instead, he held her for a moment, and she was about to ask what he was doing, when his grip loosened and he let go entirely. Confused, she spun around to face him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked gently, seeing his worried expression.

He shook his head slightly. "Sorry, Tess, I just couldn't... I couldn't do it. I can't drop you."

She slowed her blade strokes and stopped entirely, looking him in the eyes. "You can do it, Scott. I trust you fully."

"I know," he sighed. "But I don't trust _myself_."

"You don't trust yourself to lift me?" she asked gently for clarification.

He nodded, and she smiled warmly. "Scott, you've done it before, and it's no different now."

He shook his head again. "It's not the same. You were little, you were just a kid, and I... I was the only support you had, at least in skating. I had to take care of you. But you're all grown up now, Tess..."

She hugged him gently. "I'm still the same person, Scott, and you're still the only support I have. I'm never going to stop looking up to you, and I'm always going to trust you. You've never stopped taking care of me."

"I guess so," he reflected reluctantly. "I don't know, you just seem so... so much better. So successful. Tess, you're a way better skater than me, and you always will be. _I_ look up to _you_ , and I always will."

His honest confession took her by surprise, and for a moment, she couldn't speak. The admiration she always had for Scott was a mutual admiration; he looked up to her just as much as she looked up to him.

"That..." she said quietly, "That means the world to me, Scott."

He could tell she truly meant it, and in that moment, he realized that although she had become so successful, so much better than him, she would always depend on him, and he would always be there for her. He would never let him down, not if he could do anything about it.

He took a deep breath and smiled. "Okay," he said. "Let's do this lift."

She smiled and took his hand as they began to skate around the rink, getting ready. She wasn't going to give him the signal this time; she trusted him no matter what, and she was going to let him lift her whenever he was comfortable. Her heart was beating with anticipation, waiting for the overwhelming feeling of being lifted high above the ground.

She waited only a moment before feeling his hands wrapped around her waist, then she was propelled up into the air, and he held her up, gliding gracefully down the ice. She was instantly brought back to memories of the time he lifted her, years ago, which was, until this moment, the only time anyone had lifted her on the ice. She had never trusted anyone as much as she would always trust Scott. He supported and empowered her, just as he was doing, holding her high above the ice.

After a moment of exhilaration, he brought her gently back down onto the ice, smiling as she turned to face him. She hugged him delightedly, her feet leaving the ground for a moment, and he held her tightly.

"So, how was that?" he asked with a smile. "Glad I didn't drop you?"

"That was _amazing_ , Scott!" she exclaimed. "You're a pro. It's like you've been lifting people your whole life!"

They both laughed at her comment. "I've only ever lifted you," he admitted. "And the first time you were so much younger. Like I was empowering you to be successful. This time, it was like... I felt like I could be a part of your success."

"You've always been a part of my success," she said truthfully. "And you're the only reason why I've been successful. I wouldn't be skating without you, Scott. I'm sorry I didn't make you a bigger part of my success, but really... you're _all_ of my success. I don't know what I would've done without you at the Olympics."

She paused for a moment, then brightened. "And we're going to go back to the Olympics, Scott! Sochi awaits!"

He laughed and agreed, even if both of them only thought of it as a joke. But the more they thought about it, the more they realized that their joke could become reality. If they were willing to try, there wasn't anything they couldn't do.

They were unstoppable.


	10. Sochi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tessa Virtue has returned to the Olympics, but this time, she's not alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took forever to write and I'm not even that happy with it but it's the second-last chapter, how crazy is that? Thanks for all the support!

They had beaten the odds. A newly formed ice dance team, made up of an Olympic bronze medallist and a former Canadian junior champion, shouldn't have been able to succeed. Most partners spent their whole lives perfecting the art of ice dance. But in under three years, Tessa and Scott had won everything within and out of their reach. It had started with the smaller competitions, but then they had won the Skate Canada International, medalled in the Grand Prix Final and the Four Continents, won the national championships, and finally, they won the world championships.

Their unprecedented rise to success drew a lot of attention. No one could explain how they were winning so much, and so quickly. Only they knew the hard work that went into their successes, skating all day, every day, spending all their time together, and developing an unparalleled team chemistry.

Once they had nailed down the technique, which hadn't taken very long, since they were both very accomplished skaters, all they had to do was perfect the emotion of their routines. That came naturally to Scott, who had always skated with his whole heart. His passion for the sport was always evident. It didn't come so easily for Tessa, who had always associated her emotions on the ice with vulnerability.

At first, when people raved about Tessa's passion on the ice, she was perplexed. She had never really let herself go, especially not during performances with so many people watching. But she soon realized that she wasn't just exposing her vulnerability. She was skating with Scott, and what came most naturally to her was her love for him, how she depended on him and he was always there for her. What she was expressing on the ice was authentic, and it reflected how she felt in real life.

Their authentic emotion, treating every performance like it meant everything to them, was what set them apart, and in the end, that was why it was no surprise that they qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. They had arrived in Sochi, and they couldn't have been happier.

Tessa was happier than she had been in a long time, which was saying something. Over the last three years, spending almost all her time with Scott, there was hardly a moment when she wasn't smiling. Even when she was almost nine thousand kilometres away from her friends and family in London, she felt right at home with Scott. They had received good luck messages from all of their friends back home, including all of their former high school teammates, who were still skating and chasing the Olympics. Patrick had heartbreakingly just missed qualifying for the men's event, and Kaetlyn, as well as Kaitlyn and Andrew, were aiming for the Olympics in 2018.

The night before the short dance, Tessa lay on the bed in their room. She and Scott shared a room, each taking one of the two large beds. She rolled onto her side, attempting to get comfortable, but her heart was racing with anticipation. The next day, she would be skating on Olympic ice with her favourite person in the world. How could she not be excited?

She couldn't be excited if she wanted to sleep, though, and sleep was important. She tossed and turned, but she just felt more awake. Her movements drew Scott's attention from across the room.

"Tess?" he mumbled tiredly. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Just restless, that's all."

"I know, I'm so excited," he replied, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Do you need anything to sleep better?"

"It's okay," she told him, not wanting to disrupt him from his ability to sleep, as well. "Thanks, though."

He didn't respond, so she thought he had fallen asleep. She smiled, looking up at the ceiling in the dark. Even if she couldn't fall asleep, maybe she could relax a little. She lay there silently for a few minutes, going through mental exercises to relax, before she heard Scott's voice again.

"Tess?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna come here, if that'll help you fall asleep?" he asked.

She smiled, getting up from her bed. "Sure."

Silently, she stood up and walked over to his side of the room, being careful in the dark, and approached his bed.

"Come here, Tess," he mumbled, holding his arms out in the dark.

She laughed a little, then climbed into the bed, next to him. He put his arm around her, and she instantly relaxed, a sense of comfort flooding over her. She felt right at home with him, and as she curled up next to him, feeling his warmth around her, her eyes started to close.

Within minutes, they were both peacefully asleep.

* * *

Less than twenty-four hours later, Tessa and Scott were about to perform their short dance. They had watched most of the pairs skate already, but there were still a handful of pairs to follow. They would just skate their best, and hope it would be enough to put them in medal contention before the free dance. Scott gave a little nod as their names were announced, the crowd cheering for them. They took a deep breath together before getting into their starting positions.

Tessa didn't know that Scott was beyond nervous. She had already put so much pressure on herself that he didn't want to bother her with his own nervousness. But as they stood on the ice together, silence overtaking the arena, he looked over at her and she looked perfectly calm, focused and determined, and his heart was beating a mile a minute. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, even though they had just done that together. She quirked an eyebrow, noticing his sharp intake of breath, and before he could re-focus, the music started to play.

He hesitated for only a split-second, and no one noticed it but himself and Tessa. They didn't miss a beat as they began to skate, perfectly in-sync. Every stroke of the blade was immaculately timed, and they forgot all about the pressure that was on them. They were skating for each other, every movement had been rehearsed countless times, and they were skating with ease.

He thought they had been perfect. They had completed every spin perfectly in-sync, he had lifted her gracefully and confidently, and the cheer of the crowd was like none other. So as they stood on the ice, receiving applause from everyone watching, he hugged her tightly, lifting her up in his embrace. She laughed and hugged him back, and in that moment, there was no one in the world but them.

"We did it, Tess," he whispered to her as they walked off the ice, waving to the crowd.

She squeezed his hand in reply, and they sat down, ready to receive their scores.

"I'm so proud of us, Tess," he mumbled, putting his arm around her and pulling her close to him.

"Me too," she replied happily.

They waited a moment, the crowd cheering them on, before their score was announced.

"The short dance score for Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, of Canada," the voice over the speakers announced, "76.33."

They saw it before they heard it; they were in first place. Tessa smiled, feeling happy that their performance had been rewarded with a good score, but as Scott hugged her, she couldn't help but worry a little bit. That score was quite a bit lower than their season's best short dance, and there were still several pairs left to compete. Still, she knew they had gotten off to a strong start.

"You were amazing, Tess," Scott told her sincerely as he hugged her.

" _We_  were amazing," she amended, and as she said the words, she realized that she truly believed them. They might not have been perfect, at least not in the judges' minds, but they were still pretty amazing.

As with any competition, it wasn't about perfection, but about how you compared to the other competitors. While they hadn't received their highest score of the season, their score still held up compared to the rest of the pairs, and by the end of the night, they had only been beaten by the Americans' world-record score. They still had time to catch up; the free dance offered more points, and that was their specialty.

They were in second place now, but they wanted to be champions.

* * *

The following night, the energy in the arena was at an all-time high. Since they were performing near the end, Tessa and Scott waited backstage as the rest of the pairs competed. They kept a close eye on the scores that were being posted, but all of them were low. This boosted Scott's confidence, but Tessa was still nervous.

"As long as we medal..." Tessa murmured. She was terrified of letting Scott down. She didn't mind letting herself down, but Scott had poured his heart and soul into their partnership, and she just wanted him to experience the same Olympic glory that she had.

He smiled gently. "Tess, I'm proud of us, no matter how we place," he told her truthfully. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be skating anymore, let alone skate at the Olympics. It's been an honour skating with you."

"Thanks, Scott," she replied, letting him embrace her. "I feel the same way."

She didn't say what they were both thinking. Scott was already 30 years old, and there was little doubt that he would be retiring after the Olympics. She wanted desperately for him to retire with an Olympic gold medal around his neck; he had to finish as a champion. The competition was tough, though, and the Americans were ahead of them by more than two points. She would be satisfied with any colour medal.

When the starting order for their last group was drawn, it was announced that they would be performing second in their group of five teams, and Meryl and Charlie would be performing last. Tessa was a little disappointed, not wanting to be in a position where they would have to wait to see if their score could be beaten, especially in a position where they could be first after their performance, and still finish off the podium. Scott, on the other hand, reassured her that it would be good for them.

"Tess, all we have to do is perform our best, and that's the best we can do," he said. "I'll be proud no matter how we do, and if we do well, we'll just have to see how everyone else does. We don't have to worry about beating anyone's score, but  _t_ _hey'll_  have to worry about beating  _our_  score."

"I guess," she replied, not sounding fully convinced, but she knew she couldn't focus on the starting order. She had to focus on their performance.

After they warmed up, it was almost time for their performance. They were told to get ready to get on the ice, and after lacing up their skates and doing a final costume check, they looked out onto the ice, where the team before them was skating.

"We got this, Tess," Scott said with a smile, hugging her as they synchronized their breathing. He noticed that her heart was beating faster than normal, so he rubbed her back comfortingly.

"You okay?" he whispered.

She nodded, her pulse slowing down. Years of training had allowed her to manage her body perfectly, something she would need to do on the ice for the biggest performance of her life. She was ready.

He was ready, too, and when they stepped onto the ice, they were fearless. With the Olympic gold medal on the line and the inevitable end of their partnership looming, they were going to skate like never before. As they stood together, face to face, Scott looked Tessa in the eye, holding her hand in his. They were ready.

As soon as the gentle music started to play, Tessa could feel it, that irreplaceable connection that they always had. They weren't thinking about the skating anymore; they were thinking of each other. Every spin, every lift, every sequence wasn't about the movement in itself, but what it meant to them. They were in their own world.

They weren't worried about executing each element perfectly. They were passionate and carefree, and it showed. During their final lift, Scott triumphantly holding Tessa up, she thought,  _This is it_ , this was the last time he would lift her on the ice in competition, the last time she would feel that thrill that she got every time he supported her in the air. It had happened so quickly, but it had been a decade in the making.

So as soon as the routine was over, the fans cheering them on, she threw her arms around him, taking in everything around them. They didn't know if it had been enough to win Olympic gold, but it was definitely the best performance they had ever put on. And despite not knowing if it would even be enough to land them on the podium, Tessa was beyond ecstatic.

They couldn't stop smiling as they waited for their score, and for good reason, because as soon as it was announced, they were in first place by over 13 points. They didn't know whether that would be good enough for gold, silver, or even bronze, but in that moment, it didn't matter. In that moment, the only thing that truly mattered was each other.

After the initial adrenaline rush, they soon had to leave the kiss and cry, and they entered backstage to wait and see if their score would hold up. Tessa's nervousness returned, and she started to worry again about whether they had been good enough.

"Scott..." she said, her emotions clear in her voice.

He hugged her gently, knowing how nervous she was. "That was incredible, Tess. Medal or not, I'm never going to forget this performance."

"I won't, either," she replied, nodding slightly. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm going to miss you, Scott."

He looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Miss me? I'm here for you, and I always will be. Why are you going to miss me?"

She laughed softly. "I mean... I'm going to miss spending every waking hour with you, and every sleeping hour, too. More than anything, I'm going to miss skating with you, Scott."

"Oh," he replied quietly, then paused, blinked slowly, and continued to speak. "You suppose it's time for me to retire?"

She laughed, thinking it was a joke, but quickly stopped when she realized he was genuinely confused. The thought of retirement had never crossed his mind, and upon realizing that, she started to feel choked up again.

"I mean... I just thought..." She was unable to form a full sentence, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

To add to her spinning thoughts, she watched as the Russian skaters on the TV screen in front of them received their score, seven points lower than theirs. All of a sudden, Tessa and Scott were Olympic medallists.

"Did we just..." Scott mumbled, unable to comprehend what was happening.

She smiled and nodded, throwing her arms around him in a hug. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her, and although they weren't Olympic champions yet, they were well on their way. They couldn't celebrate too much, but they watched breathlessly as the next pair finished their performance, once again scoring lower than them. Suddenly, it was just the Canadians against the Americans, who were about to skate.

Amid the excitement, she was brought back to earth when she remembered what they had just been talking about.

"So you mean..." she started. "You're going to keep skating?"

"Well," he replied hesitantly. "Are you?"

She considered her response carefully, not wanting to pressure him into continuing to skate, although just the thought of it made her heart beat double-time. "Maybe," she answered finally. "It depends. What about you?"

"I will if you will," he replied, as if it was nothing, but it might have been the best thing anyone had ever said to her.

"You will?" she repeated, as if she couldn't believe it. Her voice rose in pitch, her excitement growing. "You really will?"

"I'll never stop skating as long as I'm with you, Tess," he replied simply. "Unless you want me to go back to coaching you?"

She laughed as she hugged him tightly. No matter the colour of the medal, she couldn't be happier than if she was skating with him. Her excitement made him laugh, too, and even as they watched the Americans flawlessly execute their free dance, they didn't care. Whichever team won was the better team for now, but they would be back.

So as they received their silver medals, she wasn't smiling because they were Olympic medallists.

She was smiling because they were coming back, and they were going to be Olympic champions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left! You can probably guess what's going to happen:)


	11. Champions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of an incredible journey for Tessa and Scott, and this time, they're not alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the end already? I had so much fun writing this AU (which is a whole lot like reality in this final chapter), thanks to everyone reading this!

PyeongChang felt different. Leading up to Sochi, it had felt like everything had happened so quickly, and once they were there, it was just the two of them in their own little world, where Tessa and Scott took the Olympics by storm.

Leading up to PyeongChang, there was a whirlwind of attention from the media and from the general Canadian public. But what was most different was that it wasn't just Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Team Canada. Their team was so much more than just themselves.

They were joined by two other ice dance teams, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. There were the ladies' singles skaters, Kaetlyn Osmond and Gabrielle Daleman. Finally, there were the mens' singles skaters, Patrick Chan and Keegan Messing.

The whole team was here. They had all started out together, as a group of high school students and their coach, and they had overcome incredible odds to qualify for the Olympics together. It had been Scott's biggest dream as a coach to see one of his protégés compete at the Olympics, and he would never, ever have imagined that his whole team, himself included, would be travelling halfway across the world to do just that.

And teams stick together, so on the morning of the short dance for the ice dance competition, the whole team came together in the Canada Olympic House, wishing the ice dancers good luck.

"You're all going to be amazing," Patrick assured them. He had placed ninth in the mens' singles competition, and although he had been disappointed with his own result, the whole team had supported him and he was looking forward to cheering on his friends.

"Yeah," Kaetlyn chimed in. "I can't wait to watch you all compete!"

"I'm pretty nervous," Kaitlyn admitted, and Andrew, Piper, and Paul all nodded in agreement. They were all making their Olympic debuts. "Any advice?"

"I've got to say, I'm nervous for my competition, too," Kaetlyn replied with a laugh. "Tessa? You have the most Olympic experience. Any advice for us rookies?"

Tessa laughed. "Don't think about it," she advised. "I was super nervous in Vancouver, too. That's why my short program was kind of a disaster. But then Scott showed up before my free skate, and I didn't have to be nervous anymore. It helps a lot to have people supporting you, and we're all here for you, we'll all be cheering each other on."

"Andrew, Kaitlyn, Piper, Paul," Scott addressed the other ice dancers, lapsing into a coach-like demeanour, "Remember you're here for each other, too. You're not skating alone, you're with your partner, and you can count on each other. After all, when you're on the ice, it's just about each other."

Tessa nodded, knowing how important his words were. She noticed that his support really seemed to calm everyone down, and not for the first time, she marvelled at how influential he was to other skaters around him. He had been a great coach, and he always would be.

"Thanks, Scott! And Tessa!" Piper said gratefully. "It's so cool that we're going to be competing against each other! Tessa, I remember when we were in high school, and I thought you were the best skater ever. Scott, you were the best coach ever. I still can't believe we're at the Olympics with you!"

Tessa laughed at her friend's enthusiasm. "Thanks, Piper, that means a lot!" She looked at Piper and Paul. "You two are an amazing team, and you know Scott and I are going to be cheering for you backstage!" She turned to face Kaitlyn and Andrew. "Same for you two! Honestly, I think watching you two skate together back when I was in grade nine was the reason why I became interested in ice dance. You're going to be amazing."

"All of you are going to do great," Patrick added. "I'm really looking forward to watching this competition. It's going to be intense, but I know you'll all do really well."

Gabby nodded and smiled, waving a Canadian flag that she had been holding. "We're going to be cheering so loudly! Go Team Canada!"

They all high-fived each other, wished each other good luck, then went to get ready for the short dance. It was a competition, but they were skating for each other.

* * *

Only two hours later, Tessa and Scott wished their friends good luck as they waited to get on the ice. Piper and Paul were about to compete, followed immediately by Kaitlyn and Andrew. Tessa watched nervously as the younger duo stepped onto the ice. She knew how intricate their short dance was; the choreography had blown her away the first time she had seen it. She wanted so badly for them to succeed, to perform their best.

Tessa and Scott watched the backstage monitor closely, cheering a little every time their friends executed a difficult sequence. Tessa watched breathlessly, her nerves easing as the performance continued, until it was over, Piper and Paul had finished their first skate on Olympic ice, and they had done it flawlessly. Scott jumped up and down in excitement, and Tessa couldn't stop smiling.

"That was amazing!" Scott said excitedly. "They were awesome!"

Tessa nodded and grinned. Their technical score might not be the highest of the competition, but their execution had been flawless, and she was proud of them. She looked closely at the screen again, as it showed them sitting in the kiss and cry, waiting for their score.

As soon as Tessa saw the score, with "1st place" listed next to it, she smiled and hugged Scott.

"They're in first!" she stated the obvious, and he smiled and nodded, feeling just as proud.

They hardly had time to celebrate, because Kaitlyn and Andrew were up next, and this was another performance that they had looked forward to for a long time. Much to their dismay, right before the performance started, Tessa and Scott were called to get ready for their performance. They only caught a few glimpses of Kaitlyn and Andrew's short dance, but they cheered louder than anyone else when it was announced that they were in first place, almost five points higher than Piper and Paul's performance. Their friends were at the top of the standings, first and second place, and they couldn't wait to join them.

As they walked towards the ice, Kaitlyn and Andrew were walking backstage, and Tessa and Scott immediately embraced them in a group hug.

"I'm so proud of you two!" Scott exclaimed. "We couldn't see your whole performance, but I'm sure it was amazing. First place, that's awesome!"

"Thanks, Scott!" Kaitlyn replied, beaming. "Good luck to you two! You're going to be amazing."

As they walked out to wait for their warmup, Tessa looked back and saw Piper and Paul joining Kaitlyn and Andrew. She smiled, seeing both pairs congratulating each other and celebrating their successful performances. Tessa took Scott's hand in hers, and he pulled her closer to him, starting to synchronize their breathing. Their friends' scores had been very exciting, but they had to focus on their own short dance.

As they stepped onto the ice, Tessa glanced up at the stands, where Patrick, Keegan, Kaetlyn, and Gabby were cheering them on, just like they had said they would. She thought of them for a moment, but after the brief warmup, she immediately focused her attention on the performance ahead of her. The rhythmic samba began to play, and they were in their own world.

They were passionate, determined, and focused. Every stroke of the blade matched the passion that they embodied. Tessa had never felt such passion, and instead of thinking about it, she used it to push her forward. She was completely captivated by the music, by the movements, by Scott. They weren't thinking about anything except themselves, completely caught in their own world.

Towards the end of the program, at the end of the twizzle sequence, the crowd cheered, and Tessa thought briefly of their friends, who were undoubtedly the ones cheering the loudest. Fuelled by the energy around them, she felt herself being thrusted into the air in their final lift, supported by Scott, and she filled with a sense of victory, of pure power.

And suddenly, it was over, and the crowd was on their feet, but all that mattered was each other. Scott hugged her tightly, and they were both rushing with adrenaline. No matter the score, they could feel it, that they were unstoppable.

As they waved to the crowd, heading off the ice, Tessa looked up to see Kaetlyn, and even from so far away, she could feel how proud her best friend was. She glanced over at Gabby, whom she had always looked up to, who was now the one marvelling at her performance, and at Patrick and Keegan, who had supported them endlessly, and she knew they would never stop. Then she looked over at Scott, standing next to her, and the look of pure elation on his face made every sacrifice worth it.

There wasn't much time for recovery, but they couldn't celebrate until the scores were announced, and even then, there were four more performances after theirs, and still the free dance to come. They were just getting started, but they were making their mark.

They heard their names over the loudspeaker, and they listened up. What they thought and what their friends thought was one thing, but the judges were another.

"Eighty-three point six seven," the voice announced, and the responding roar of the crowd was deafening.

It was a score that had never been achieved before. It was a new world record, and Tessa suddenly felt Scott's strong arms around her, hugging her, and she hugged him back. Although they had always believed they could do it, they were still in shock. They waited for it to sink in, but it never did, until it was all over, and the record held, they were in first place by almost two points. They had a lot of work ahead of them, but there was a hope, a chance, that maybe, just maybe, they could be Olympic champions.

* * *

The next day, the energy in the arena was through the roof. After taking the lead with a new world record, Tessa and Scott had been overwhelmed by the media attention, but as they stood backstage as the competition began, they didn't forget about their teammates. Although they were in first place, Kaitlyn and Andrew were in eighth, and Piper and Paul were right behind them, in ninth place. Given the intensity of the competition, their chances at increasing their ranks were slim, but Tessa and Scott made sure that their friends weren't overlooked.

"Good luck," Scott said to the other ice dancers. "Skate your hearts out. Embrace the opportunity! We're so proud of you."

"Thanks, Scott," Kaitlyn replied gratefully. "We're so proud of you two, too. Go bring home that gold medal!"

Tessa smiled and put her arm around him. "We're going to try our best! But first, we'll be cheering you on!"

They wished each other good luck, then Piper, Paul, Kaitlyn, and Andrew had to prepare for their free dances. Tessa and Scott waited in excitement, knowing how impressive and captivating their friends' performances would be.

As soon as Piper and Paul stepped onto the ice, they gave off an air of determination, and just seeing them on the little screen in front of her, Tessa knew that they were going to give it their all. They had worked tirelessly on perfecting their free dance, after switching their music halfway through the season, and she hoped that the decision would pay off.

The mystique and intensity of their "James Bond" routine showed from the start, and Tessa watched them, entranced. Their choreography was creative and intense, and it perfectly showed off who they were. They were thoughtful and precise, and even though they weren't going to medal, Tessa was beyond proud of them. She remembered when they had first joined the skating team in grade nine, and she and Scott had both seen the potential in them. They had grown so much since then, and she was proud to have been a part of their development as a team.

So when they were announced to be in first place by two points, Tessa and Scott cheered aloud, prompting others around them to look at them strangely, but they just laughed.

"They did it!" Tessa exclaimed happily. "I'm so proud of them!"

"That was amazing," Scott said with a nod. "I hope they place well in the end. They deserve it."

They spent a few minutes quietly celebrating their friends, and Piper and Paul were able to join them as Kaitlyn and Andrew's performance was beginning.

The two were beaming, especially as they were still in first place, after another team had gone. Immediately, Tessa and Scott went to hug them.

"Congratulations!" they said at the same time, their excitement clear.

"Thanks!" Piper replied. "That felt amazing! We might not medal, but I'm still really proud."

"We're really proud of you, too," Tessa affirmed with a smile. "You two are really impressive."

"That means a lot coming from you," Paul said gratefully, then turned his attention to the screen in front of them. "Look! Kaitlyn and Andrew are about to skate!"

The four quickly turned their attention to the display, ready to watch their friends and cheer them on. As soon as the music started to play, they were captivated. Kaitlyn and Andrew had a way of expressing pure, precious emotion that no one else could. They were determined, passionate, and they perfectly balanced the hints of hope and desperation in their dance. They knew it was nearly impossible to medal, but they would still try. It was quite fitting.

They watched breathlessly as Andrew lifted Kaitlyn high in the air, the final lift, and brought her back down to the ground, where they slid gracefully across the ice, away from each other, then back together, and he picked her up again, before letting her go, sliding away from each other, the emotion clear as they finished their performance.

Frozen in captivation, Piper was the first of them to react, and she cheered, hugging Paul, who was next to her. Scott stayed completely focused on the screen in front of him, watching as Kaitlyn and Andrew hugged each other, celebrating one of their best performances ever.

"That was incredible," Tessa said with a smile, high-fiving Piper and Paul.

Scott smiled. "I'm really proud of them." He turned to Piper and Paul. "I'm really proud of you, too. All of you have represented Canada remarkably well. It's an honour to be your teammates."

Tessa embraced them in a group hug. She knew what Scott was implying, too. At thirty-four years old, there was no doubt that his competitive skating career was coming to a close, and she was planning on retiring with him, too. To spend their final Olympic experience with all of their best friends meant the world to them. And to see all their friends succeed was the best feeling in the world.

It was no surprise when Kaitlyn and Andrew were announced to be in first place, just a fraction of a point ahead of Piper and Paul, who were then in second place. When Kaitlyn and Andrew joined them backstage, they immediately congratulated them with hugs, before Tessa and Scott had to leave to get ready for their warmup.

Being on the ice for so little time seemed almost symbolic, like everything was happening so quickly. Their rise to ice dance success had been almost immediate, yet it had been a lifetime in the making. Their partnership had only lasted a few years, and it would soon be over, but they both knew it hardly meant the end of their life together.

They soon returned backstage as they waited for their performance. They were competing last, but they didn't want to know what score they would have to beat. They just wanted to skate their best. So as they stayed away from the other competitors and away from the TV screens, Kaitlyn, Andrew, Piper, and Paul watched the French ice dance team break the world record for both the free dance and the combined total score. Tessa and Scott didn't know it, but they would have to break a new world record to stand on top of the podium.

When they stepped onto the ice, there was a murmur around the arena, a growing cheer of hope. They could feel that they would have to perform better than they ever had before. They entered onto the ice together, but skated apart from each other, preparing into their starting positions, standing several metres away from each other. As Tessa looked at Scott, so far away, for a fleeting moment, she felt alone, like he almost wasn't there.

But the music started, and they skated towards each other, and the connection was back, and stronger than ever. He lifted her up onto him, passion dripping from their every move. As the music grew, their energy was at an all-time high, and their determination felt so strong, almost angry. They were determined to make the most out of their final competition together.

When he lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his head, the crowd cheered, fuelling their emotions, but suddenly, it was silent, and they had completely shifted from passionate, angry determination to quiet desperation. With every glide, every spin, she couldn't let him go. It was part of the choreography, but she felt for a moment that if she had to let go, she wouldn't be able to. She had to hold on to him, hold on to what little time they had left together on the ice, and savour every moment.

The way he looked at her, the way she felt him pull her just a little closer to him, she knew he felt the same way. And as he lifted her up, supporting her with his legs, propelling her up into the air, she was flooded with all the emotions she had felt over the years with him, every triumph, and every heartbreak, too. And as soon as he carried her back down to the ground, she was holding on to him again, and she didn't let go as they spun once more, and he lifted her up, spinning her around as the music came to a close, then she dropped down into his arms, and the crowd was on their feet, and he hugged her tightly.

She was in disbelief at what was possibly the best free dance that they had ever delivered, and as the crowd cheered, she heard him scream in triumph, before he lifted her up in a hug again. They knew they had won, without a shadow of a doubt.

Looking back, it had been an incredible journey. She had first met him when he had been her teacher. She had trained for years under his coaching, but she had inspired him just as much as he had inspired her. She had been an Olympic bronze medallist on her own, but she hadn't been happier than when she was with him, and they had won silver together.

But finally, they were Olympic champions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the unconventional story of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir! It started off as an AU but it converged with reality, which I feel is a nice way to bring this all together. In hindsight, I wish I had written more about their journey as an ice dance team, because I really only included their Olympics together. Thanks to everyone reading this, and thanks for the support! I hope you liked the creative start (although it got generic at the end), and any feedback is greatly appreciated!


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